Carnival Cruise Line Named St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Corporate Partner of the Year'

MIAMI, June 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line – which has raised more than $16 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital over the past eight years and serves as its Official Celebration Partner – has been named the organization's "Corporate Partner of the Year" for its outstanding support through innovative fundraising activities and engaging on-site events for patients.

The award was presented yesterday to Carnival President Christine Duffy by Richard Shadyac, Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Since the partnership began in 2010, Carnival Cruise Line has developed a variety of creative and unique ways to promote St. Jude's amazing lifesaving work, part of its comprehensive Care to Play: Carnival for St. Jude Kids fleetwide program.   

Most recently, St. Jude was prominently featured in the naming ceremony of the new Carnival Horizon whose Dreamscape LED atrium sculpture features colorful original artwork created by 33 St. Jude patients.  Some of the talented artists and their families were recognized during the festivities which included poignant and moving comments from Shadyac and godmother Queen Latifah, a longtime supporter of St. Jude.  

"St. Jude is an organization very near and dear to our hearts and to be recognized as their 'Corporate Partner of the Year' is a truly wonderful honor and a testament to the support and dedication of our more than 40,000 employees," said Duffy.  "We will continue to look for even more ways to support the hospital in their fight against childhood cancer," she added. 

"Our sincerest thanks to Christine and the entire Carnival Cruise Line team for the collaborative spirit in which they have approached our partnership not only over the last year, but throughout its entirety," said Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "They are all to be commended for their steadfast commitment to our lifesaving mission, raising critical funds to help expand it around the globe and for expressing so many acts of kindness and goodwill to so many of our patients and their families."

Carnival's fundraising efforts encompass initiatives like the Groove for St. Jude shipboard dance activity and the sale of sweets on board, including the Brownie Buoy ice cream flavor hand-picked by the kids of St. Jude and sold at the Carnival Vista's Cherry on Top shop.  The line also engages its guests in its St. Jude fundraising efforts through the annual Thanks and Giving campaign at its U.S. embarkation ports, doubling monies raised over the past two years. 

Carnival also hosts an annual Day of Play, a themed in-hospital event with fun activities for kids and their families and while providing ongoing support through cruise giveaways, employee participation in the St. Jude Walk, event sponsorships and other initiatives.

Carnival's employees and senior leadership are dedicated to supporting St. Jude as well, with Duffy serving on ALSAC's Professional Advisory Board and personnel traveling to Memphis to host events and spend time with the children.  

To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line or to make a reservation, visit Carnival.com, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, or contact any travel agent. Follow us on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 26 ships operating three- to 24-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia.  The line currently has three new ships scheduled for delivery – the 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama set to debut in 2019 and two as-yet-unnamed 180,000-ton ships in 2020 and 2022.

About 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. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude), following St. Jude on Twitter (@stjude) and subscribing to its YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/MyStJude).

SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line

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