Two entertainers, one already a star and the other emerging as one of the greatest names in music, joined forces in 1957 to help make the world a better place for children stricken with cancer and other deadly illnesses.
Danny Thomas, star of the hit television show Make Room for Daddy, was holding a second fund-raising event in Memphis, Tennessee, to raise funds to support his dream of building St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Star power was needed to bring in the crowds, and in 1957, no one was hotter than Memphis’ very own Elvis Presley.
Presley had burst onto the music scene in 1955, with a rollicking version of That’s All Right, the first jewel in the crown of the man many would ordain the “King” of Rock ‘n’ Roll. By 1957, when he agreed to perform at Danny’s event, Elvis had already appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show three times and was filming his third movie, Jailhouse Rock. Thousands of dollars were raised that evening and St. Jude opened its doors in 1962, changing the course of medical history, with new changes enduring throughtout the years.
Each year, thousands of people from around the world come to Memphis to honor Elvis during Elvis Tribute Week, a week-long celebration of the life of the legendary singer. St. Jude also honors Elvis because of his early support of Danny’s dream.
Elvis continued to support the hospital for the remainder of his life. In 1964, the same year the Beatles invaded America, Presley donated a yacht he had purchased, the U.S.S. Potomac, to St. Jude. The Potomac had served as the presidential yacht, or “Floating White House,” for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Elvis presented the boat to St. Jude to do with as they saw fit. In a February 13 ceremony that took place in Long Beach, California, Elvis officially presented the boat to Danny. The boat was sold for $65,000 with the proceeds coming back to the hospital.
Elvis’ legacy in music is unparalleled and his early support of St. Jude was remembered fondly by Danny and the Board of St. Jude. His support, and that of many others, enabled the hospital to tackle acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer. At the time, only four out of 100 children survived ALL. By 1970, St. Jude research and treatment protocols had raised the survival rate to 50 percent, and, today, more than 80 percent of children stricken with ALL will survive.
Despite this success, there are still thousands of
children dying from ALL and other forms of childhood cancer, not
to mention infectious diseases and genetic disorders that St. Jude
has pledged to investigate and cure. That’s why fans of
Elvis have continued to support the hospital: to continue the fight
Danny Thomas initiated and continues on through his daughter, Marlo.
St. Jude has challenged Elvis fan clubs to raise $1,222, which would cover the costs of providing two days of intravenous chemotherapy for a St. Jude patient. Fans could also make a memorial or honor gift in honor of another Elvis fan. St. Jude will send a unique Elvis card to whomever the donor designates. Or the donor can send the recipient a special Elvis e-card, featuring artwork depicting Presley drawn by St. Jude patients.
“Almost everyone can appreciate the music Elvis gave us over the years,” said David L. McKee, chief operating officer of ALSAC, St. Jude’s fund-raising arm. “But his support of St. Jude was also appreciated, especially in those early days when Danny’s dream had yet to take form. We thank Elvis, his family and his millions of fans for helping create St. Jude and for continuing to support children fighting deadly diseases.”
Having given to endless charitable organizations throughout his career, as recently as today information on Elvis' "secret" donations for causes is still being discovered. The single largest donation of funds for the creation of the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor came from Elvis Presley. His charity was endless. His heart, bigger than life.
Elvis would often visit sick children in their hospital rooms and then secretly send them toys or pay the entire cost of their medical bills if the parents were in hard times.
He continuously gave generously to many charities, and annonymously to the Boy Scouts in and around Memphis, and was a great supporter to the local Memphis police.
Elvis gave to many charities including St. Jude, The March of Dimes, St. Josephs Indian school, the Heart Association, to name only a few. His most heart-rendering philanthropic deeds fell upon complete strangers he'd meet on the street, unsuspecting strangers, and friends, who would receive monetary gifts, medical/financial support, gifts of food, clothing, and jewelry, cars and, most of all, his love and caring.