St. Jude $5.6 Million Radiothon Breaks Record For iHeartMedia

Country Cares for St. Jude Kids’ annual fundraising event broke a record this year, topping $5.6 million pledged from Dec. 7-8, making it iHeartMedia’s largest national campaign.

New this year was the ‘This Shirt Saves Lives’ tee shirt campaign, also enticing donors to become ”Partners In Hope,” pledging $20 per month, to receive the exclusive tee shirt. The incentive campaign included more than 80 country artists offering social media pushes wearing the shirt in addition to the radiothon and on-air promotions.

The ’This Shirt Saves Lives’ was officially launched on Dec. 4 and will continue offering exclusive tee shirts through the spring 2018.

“We greatly appreciate our partnership with iHeartMedia, and are truly inspired by the dedication of its on-air personalities and listeners for passionately supporting the critical cause of finding cures for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “It’s remarkable to see how deeply the entire country music industry has embraced the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This record-breaking year is an amazing achievement for the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids program.”

“The iHeartMedia radiothon program capitalizes on the power of storytelling and iHeartMedia’s unique role as a community medium to inspire and motivate listeners to action,” said Rod Phillips, iHeartMedia SVP of Programming. “We have a rich history of supporting St. Jude – which treats so many children living in the communities in which we serve – and we look forward to many more successful fundraising events in 2018.”

Specifically, The Bobby Bones Show generated more than $1.7 million with the help of several artists including Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini and Cole Swindell. Additionally, throughout the year, The Bobby Bones Show supports many St. Jude programs such as the star-studded Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots’ Million Dollar Show in January at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Jake Owen was not only part of the social ‘This Shirt Saves Lives,’ but he personally donated.

Together St. Jude and iHeartMedia have generated more than $90 million in the past decade to treat St. Jude patients by relying on the generosity of local listeners to continue St. Jude’s work for patients and families, who never receive a bill from St. Jude for the cost of treatment, travel, housing or food.

Cassadee Pope at the annual YEP Rewind: Holiday Edition at The Basement East, which coincided with and benefitted St. Jude’s “This Shirt Saves Lives” campaign. Photo: Jason Myers.

Hunter Hayes at the annual YEP Rewind: Holiday Edition at The Basement East, which coincided with and benefitted St. Jude’s “This Shirt Saves Lives” campaign. Photo: Jason Myers.