2015 St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend Recap

At Juice Plus+, we are passionate about creating and maintaining healthy lifestyles for people of all ages.  Which is why we’ve partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as the presenting sponsor of the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend for more than a decade.  The marathon provides a way to encourage our community members to get moving, and also helps fundraise for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a cause dear to our hearts. We’re proud to say this year’s race was extremely successful. We organized a company-wide Juice Plus+ team with 105 participants, including employees and representatives from 16 states and the United Kingdom who got active on marathon day. We also helped raised over $65,000 for St. Jude.

So, what did marathon weekend entail? A marathon, half-marathon, 5k, kids marathon and family fun run were all a part of this year’s marathon weekend. This year, we kept with tradition by hosting a Spirit Station at the 10 mile mark, where employees and volunteers cheered on race participants and handed out water. In addition, participants, along with their families and supporters, were able to partake in an expo hosted at the Memphis Cook Convention Center on the Thursday and Friday prior to the race. And, post-race, participants celebrated their success with a party downtown.

Although we began sponsoring the marathon at its start in 2002, it was a year later that the realization of how impactful this fundraiser can truly be struck close to home. Michael Hecht, Juice Plus+ Region Director for the mid-south region, spent time at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital when his son became a patient with acute myeloid leukemia. Hecht’s son received outstanding treatment and care that is made possible through fundraisers such as the Memphis Marathon. Hecht has continued to participate in the Memphis Marathon weekend as a way to give back and say “thank you” to St. Jude and was one of our St. Jude team members this year again.

Did you participate in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend? What was your favorite part about the event? Share your story with us by leaving a comment!

And if you weren’t able to attend marathon weekend, but are interested in donating to help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital reach their goal of $8 million, click here. The last day for donations will be December 31, 2015.