St. Jude’s Thanks and Giving: A Legacy of Celebrity Support

Welcome to a deep-dive into the enduring legacy of St. Jude’s annual Thanks and Giving campaign. Over the years, this campaign has seen a remarkable array of celebrities from diverse industries lend their voices and resources to support St. Jude’s mission. Even as we look at the 2011 campaign, the continuity of star-studded support is evident in the present day, a decade later. This post explores the genesis of the campaign, its impact over the years, and how it has evolved to continue making a difference in 2025.

Celebrity Support for St. Jude’s Thanks and Giving Campaign

Throughout its history, the industry has embraced the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. When Danny Thomas set out to build the hospital in 1962, some of the biggest stars of that era donated their time and talents to help raise awareness and funds for St. Jude. This tradition continued with celebrities from film, television, music, and sports all donating their time and talents to the 2011 St. Jude Thanks and Giving® campaign.

The Impact of the Thanks and Giving Campaign

The national television spots for the Thanks and Giving campaign featured each celebrity paired with the biggest stars of all – St. Jude patients. These heartwarming spots aired major broadcast and cable networks in English and Spanish, and online. They also appeared on screens nationwide at theatre industry giants and on major airlines’ flights. All the spots, as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, debuted on www.stjude.org on Nov. 22.

Legacy of Giving: A Message from the Stars

The Thanks and Giving campaign was created by Marlo Thomas and her siblings, Terre and Tony Thomas, to bring together celebrities, media, and corporations to ask shoppers to “Give thanks for the healthy kids in your , and give to those who are not.” In the words of Morgan Freeman, who appeared alongside St. Jude patients Mia and Camryn in one of the campaign’s television spots, “With your help, we can help give hope this holiday season to kids battling cancer and other deadly diseases.”

Celebrity Support in 2011 and Beyond

The campaign also gained star power from several new and returning friends of St. Jude from a wide spectrum of the industry. The campaign ran from Thanksgiving week through the end of the year, including the annual St. Jude Give thanks. Walk.’ event held on Nov. 19 in 80 communities nationwide.

St. Jude is the nation’s leading pediatric research and treatment center devoted solely to children with cancer and other deadly diseases. It is the only pediatric cancer research hospital that covers all of the costs for treatment, travel, food, and lodging for each patient and a member. To learn more about the Thanks and Giving campaign and to learn about the more than 60 brands participating in the campaign, visit www.stjude.org.

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