This holiday season, Jennifer Aniston, Sofia Vergara, Michael Strahan, Luis Fonsi and Jon Hamm will once again join St. Jude Children's Research Hospital National Outreach Director Marlo Thomas in promoting the annual St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign.
Each celebrity supporter will star alongside St. Jude patients in national television spots, digital shorts or a national movie trailer encouraging people to support St. Jude.
Now in its milestone 15th year, the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign has transformed the holiday season into a time of giving thanks and raising awareness. Thanks to the support of holiday shoppers, corporate partners and celebrity ambassadors, the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign raises critical funds to continue 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 60 leading national brands and spreading the word by sharing what they #GiveThanks for on social media.
“I am truly honored to partner with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital again for this year’s Thanks and Giving campaign.” said Jennifer Aniston. “St. Jude is family to me and holds a special place in my heart. I hope everyone will join me in giving back by supporting the extraordinary work of St. Jude – finding cures and saving children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases around the world. Together, we can help end childhood cancer.”
The national television commercials debut this November and run through the end of the year. In addition to national awareness commercials, a host of St. Jude celebrity friends will support the campaign through radio spots, online videos, or on social media. Celebrities include Banda El Recodo, Breaking Benjamin, Erica Campbell, Jekalyn Carr, Lauren Conrad, Luis Coronel, Jamie Erdahl, Gaby Espino, Good Mythical Morning hosts Rhett & Link, Bryan Greenberg, JJ Hairston, Anthony Hamilton, Jerrika Hinton, Darius Rucker, The Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott, and Tye Tribbett.
“Over the years, I’ve met so many amazing children from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year, filming my Thanks and Giving commercial, I had the privilege of spending special time with Johan – who is truly an inspiration to me,” said Sofia Vergara. “He is so brave and courageous in his fight against childhood cancer. And thanks to the lifesaving work being done at St. Jude, children like Johan have hope to live long and healthy lives. Please join me this holiday season and support St. Jude to help save the lives of children around the world.”
“As we celebrate 15 years of the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign, we are honored that year after year these incredible stars devote their time and talent in support of the lifesaving mission of St. Jude,” said Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Their generosity and commitment to the children of St. Jude help us raise awareness and critical funds to continue the fight against childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Support during the holiday season enables us to ensure that families never receive 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.”
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 St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children.
“I’m honored to be involved in the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign this year and to be part of the team that is helping to save the lives of children in communities across America and around the world,” said Jon Hamm. “It is a great privilege to lend my voice to motivate people to support the lifesaving work of St. Jude. Please join me and help the children of St. Jude who are in the biggest fight of their lives.”
National spots air on network and cable television channels, as well as online, in both English and Spanish. A star-studded St. Jude Thanks and Giving movie trailer is shown by national theatre partners including Regal Entertainment Group, Cinemark USA, AMC, Malco Theatres and many others. American Airlines provides backing via in-flight video promotion, inclusion in their in-flight magazine and on social media. In addition, AccentHealth, America’s leading waiting room media network, shows the St. Jude PSA in physician offices nationally.
“The best part of what I do for St. Jude is spending time with the kids. Just witnessing them be so strong and resilient really gives me hope,” said Michael Strahan. “I love shooting the commercials for the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign every year because I am reminded how incredibly important St. Jude is and its mission is nothing short of awesome – to find the cures and means of prevention to knock out childhood cancers and other catastrophic pediatric diseases with research and treatment. And because of the generosity of our amazing supporters, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for anything.”
