Hundreds of teens, parents rally community to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® at St. Jude Golden Gala

News provided by

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Oct 02, 2018, 16:16 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Students representing 19 schools from the Washington Metropolitan Area and their parents are celebrating the success of the third annual St. Jude Golden Gala held on Sept. 22 at the French Embassy.

St. Jude patient Emily (left) and her sister, Callie, performed “Fight Song” before 250 guests at the St. Jude Golden Gala on Sept. 22, 2018 at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. Emily shared her journey fighting acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), an extremely rare subtype of leukemia, and mentioned the gala presented the perfect way to celebrate her last day as a teen because her birthday was the following day.

Approximately 250 guests attended the gala organized by teen committee leads Caroline Culp (The Potomac School), Michelle Miller (The Field School), Aves Mocek (The Madeira School), Sebastian Harvey (The Potomac School), Margaux Saidy (Holy Child) and parent mentor chairs Eunice Mazloom and Alicia Harkness. Together, they raised more than $125,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Guests gave St. Jude patient Emily a standing ovation after she and her sister Callie performed the "Fight Song." Emily also shared her journey fighting acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), an extremely rare subtype of leukemia, and mentioned the gala presented the perfect way for Emily to celebrate her last day as a teenager because her birthday was the following day.

The evening included additional entertainment by local students, live and silent auctions, and desserts donated by CakeLove, Georgetown Cupcake, ITC at the Ronald Reagan Building, Le Café Descartes at the French Embassy, Lolli and Pops, Fluffness, Maison Kayser and Artisan Confections.

Thanks to generous donors at events like this, 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.

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, following St. Jude on Twitter and Instagram and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

SOURCE St. Jude Children's Research Hospital