This holiday season, Jennifer Aniston, Sofia Vergara, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Kimmel and Luis Fonsi will once again join St. Jude Children's Research Hospital National Outreach Director Marlo Thomas in promoting the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign.
Each celebrity supporter will star alongside St. Jude patients in national television spots and digital shorts encouraging people to support St. Jude while holiday shopping.
Now in its thirteenth year, the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign has transformed the holiday season into a time of giving thanks by raising awareness and funds for the ongoing battle to end childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Throughout November and December, consumers are asked to support the campaign by shopping at more than 70 leading national brands and sharing what they #GiveThanks for using social media.
“Every year the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign helps transform the holiday season into a time when we can all make a huge difference and help save the lives of precious children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases,” said Jennifer Aniston. “St. Jude holds a special place in my heart and I am honored to lend my voice in raising awareness to support St. Jude’s lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children in communities across America and around the world.”
The national television commercials will debut Thanksgiving week on Monday Nov. 21 and run through the end of the year. In addition to national awareness commercials, celebrity friends will support St. Jude on #GivingTuesday and throughout the campaign by sharing what they #GiveThanks for.
“It’s so important to me to be a part of the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign because it’s a great way to help give hope to kids battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases,” said Sofia Vergara. “These beautiful children have such incredible strength and spirit. I hope everyone will join me in supporting St. Jude, as this magnificent hospital continues its groundbreaking research and life-saving treatments.”
“We are deeply grateful for our incredible friends who lend their time and talents to support St. Jude,” said Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “It means so much to us that year after year they open their hearts to the children of St. Jude. We are blessed to have their unwavering support and their generous spirit that helps St. Jude raise the funds that allows our doctors and scientists to continue their groundbreaking research, which leads to lifesaving treatments. And lets us keep my father’s founding promise that no family receives a bill from St. Jude for anything — not for treatment, travel, housing or food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.”
Supporters will also be able to purchase merchandise designed by their favorite celebrities to benefit St. Jude. For the second year, St. Jude worked with the family of Maya Angelou to design a one-of-a-kind glass lantern. St. Jude partner HSN collaborated with celebrity friends including Marlo Thomas, Melissa McCarthy, Kristin Chenoweth, Christie Brinkley, Iris Apfel, Giuliana Rancic, and more in designing a Holiday Ornament Collection.
“I’m excited once again to be a part of the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign and support St. Jude in its fight against childhood cancer,” said Jimmy Kimmel. “I had a lot of fun filming these spots with Isabelle, Marleigh and John Claude – all of whom are great kids. This holiday season we can help St. Jude continue to treat the toughest cases while ensuring that families never pay St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food. Every little bit can help save the lives of these sweet and beautiful children.”
Created in 2004 by Marlo, Terre and Tony Thomas – children of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas – the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign began as a holiday-focused fundraising effort and has grown into an annual tradition that unites celebrities, media, retail and corporate partners to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.
The campaign’s national television spots will air on network and cable television channels, as well as online, in both English and Spanish. In addition, a star-studded St. Jude Thanks and Giving movie trailer appears in theatres nationwide – including Regal Entertainment Group, Cinemark USA, Carmike Cinemas, Malco Theatres and many others. It is also featured via in-flight videos on American Airlines, in the American Way magazine, as well as in Delta Airlines’ Sky Magazine. In addition, AccentHealth, America’s leading waiting room media network, shows the St. Jude PSA in physician offices around the country. All of the spots, as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, will debut online in late November.
