Peoria, IL, Leads Pack in Fundraising for St. Jude
Money is raised all over the U.S. for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, but in Greater Peoria and central Illinois, the drive to make a difference doesn’t cease.
“The way central Illinois shows up to support the mission of St. Jude is unheard of,” says Molly Graham, ALSAC-St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital area executive director for central and southern Illinois and Iowa. “We raise more funds per capita than in any other area in the country. It’s a testament to the people here.”
In 2025, during the 48th annual St. Jude Telethon at the Peoria Civic Center, central Illinois raised more than $12 million. And the St. Jude Memphis to Peoria Run raised more than $1.5 million. The run is part of a larger movement called St. Jude Runs, where races held in 35 cities raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
When you break it down, major fundraising accomplishments like these happen because passionate individuals come together to make the biggest impact possible.
In This Article
A Family Tradition
Take for instance Peoria native Lindsey Johnston, who is marking her 25th year as a volunteer runner and fundraiser. She can’t remember a time when St. Jude Runs wasn’t part of her life, which started when her late father first recruited her for the event.
“Some of my earliest childhood memories are watching him run into the Civic Center with the other runners,” she says. “I do the St. Louis to Peoria Run. You run as much or as little as you want. There’s nothing like running down a rural country road at 2 a.m. with nothing but cornfields and the moon, talking to your best friends.”
Her whole family is involved in the event. One of her brothers and her mother meet her and her team on route and cook dinner, and another brother makes all their sponsor signs.
“It’s a family effort to honor my dad,” she says. “We keep the St. Jude mission at the forefront, not only providing treatment for catastrophic childhood disease, but also prevention and research. Danny Thomas’ vision was that no child should die in the dawn of life. My dad got me here. But what keeps me here is the mission and the friendships.”
Full Circle
Another example is Amy Jones, event planner for St. Jude, who supports fundraising events, including St. Jude Runs.
Her own St. Jude story began in 1988 when, at age 10, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and spent more than two years traveling between Memphis and her home in Peoria for treatment.
“During that time, I was able to meet some runners and go to the telethon,” she says.
She promised a fellow patient they would do the run together when they were old enough. After her friend ultimately succumbed to his illness, Jones says she was determined to keep that promise, even though she relapsed just before starting high school.
“I was fortunate to come out on the other side of that, so I was determined to participate in the run for myself and for my friend, Dusty, because he would never get the chance,” she says.
“It was such a special moment as a patient to see these people who were supporting and loving me, even though they didn’t know my name. To be in those shoes to say thank you, to run beside them and say, ‘Look what you’ve made happen,’ and offer current patients a glimmer of hope.”
Jones says that it takes every single person doing what they do – if it’s 1 mile they are running or $10 they are raising.
“My story has come full circle as a patient, then a runner and now a staff member,” she says. “I have seen from every perspective the importance of every dollar raised.”
Passion and Dedication
The St. Jude clinic is made possible by a strong relationship between St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, OSF Children’s Hospital and the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, Graham says.
“The clinic allows patients to receive the best treatment they can possibly have, right here. The local doctors collaborate with world-renowned doctors developing treatments in Memphis,” she says. “All together, we are in a unique position to focus on pushing that cure forward, no matter where a child lives.”
Beyond St. Jude Runs, Graham says the community supports the hospital in other ways.
“We benefit from a number of events throughout the year. We have St. Jude clubs in our local high schools,” she says. “Our next generation of leaders are truly learning philanthropy and raising thousands of dollars for the St. Jude mission. They are passionate about this cause.”
Graham notes the many deserving charity organizations and the way in which the community rallies around them.
“It’s humbling to me, the passion and dedication this community shows year after year. We won’t stop until no child dies from cancer,” Graham says.
Community Engagement, By the Numbers
Heart of Illinois (HOI) United Way serves the Greater Peoria community and offers opportunities to impact, invest and engage through its key focus areas of education, financial stability and health.
“Greater Peoria is a community unlike any other,” says Jennifer Zammuto, president of HOI United Way.
“Everyone has a role in making this a region where we all work together to solve big challenges. That – combined with unprecedented generosity, expertise and time – has set us apart for more than 100 years.”
- $9 million: approximate dollars raised annually through the generosity of the community and invested, according to a data-driven process
- 5,000-plus: volunteers who supported the work of HOI United Way and its nonprofit partners in 2024
- 25,000-plus: volunteer service hours in 2024
- 45: agencies that have met rigorous standards to become partner agencies
- 1 in 3: people in the region served annually by HOI United Way
- 10,000: calls annually to the 2-1-1 health and human services support center
- 103-plus: years since HOI United Way was established in 1921
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