Louisiana local Ronnie Schwartz clinches St. Jude Hero Among Us Award
December 02 2022 - 10:40PM
Business Wire
Award recognizes selfless devotion, outstanding
achievements in raising funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital
The 2022 St. Jude Hero Among Us Award was presented to Ronnie
Schwartz of Alexandria, LA., a selfless champion for St. Jude kids,
on the eve of St. Jude Memphis Marathon® Weekend presented by Juice
Plus+®. The award is given each year to a St. Jude Hero® who
rallies others to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital®.
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The 2022 St. Jude Hero Among Us Award was
presented to Ronnie Schwartz of Alexandria, LA., a selfless
champion for the kids and families of St. Jude Children's Research
Hospital, on the eve of St. Jude Memphis Marathon® Weekend. The
award is given each year to a St. Jude Hero® who rallies others to
raise funds to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding
cures. Saving children.® (Photo: Business Wire)
Schwartz became a St. Jude Hero in 2018, joining a special group
of athletes who fundraise while training to support the lifesaving
mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children.® Shortly
thereafter, the CenLa Runners Heroes were created – a group of
runners and fundraisers from Central Louisiana who have formed a
39-member team this year captained by Schwartz. In just five years,
Schwartz has personally raised nearly $200,000 as a St. Jude Hero
during St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend, helping the CenLa Runners
Heroes surpass $700,000 in total funds raised. This year, they’re
setting their sights on reaching the $1 million mark.
“St. Jude Heroes epitomize striving to make a difference in the
lives of children and inspiring others on the journey, exactly what
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital founder Danny Thomas
accomplished when he pursued his dream of creating St. Jude,” said
Richard C. Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising
and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital. “We are so grateful to Ronnie and his team of St. Jude
Heroes for their selflessness and passion for St. Jude. I’m looking
forward to seeing them join more than 20,000 dedicated supporters
in downtown Memphis this weekend as they come together to bring St.
Jude one step closer to the finish line to find cures for childhood
cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”
In 2020, Schwartz was recognized with the St. Jude Hero of the
Year Award for his overall support of the St. Jude mission. This
honor is part of a larger award celebration that recognizes St.
Jude supporters outside of St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend.
Schwartz was recruited to be a part of the first National
Ambassadors for the St. Jude Heroes program and he serves as a
Local Ambassador for the Gulf Coast Heroes. St. Jude Hero
Ambassadors are individuals who act as supporters for the St. Jude
brand and use their platform or voice to increase awareness and to
inform others how to get involved.
CenLa Runners Heroes and Schwartz have been celebrated for many
years as one of the top fundraising teams and top individual
fundraisers in the country for St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend.
Help the CenLa Runners Heroes stay on track to raise funds that
help ensure no family receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment,
travel, housing or food so they can focus on helping their child
live. Every child deserves a chance to live their best life and
celebrate every moment. When you support St. Jude and Heroes like
Ronnie, you help give kids with cancer around the world that
chance. Together, we can save lives.
Get full St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend details and donate to
St. Jude at stjude.org/marathon.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the
world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other
life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures.
Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer
Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to
children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was
considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the
overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won't stop
until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs
it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and
cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment
and care for even more children. Because of generous donors,
families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel,
housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live.
Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of
hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by
donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St.
Jude on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to
its YouTube channel.
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Kurt Rossler kurt.rossler@alsac.stjude.org 901-297-3512