COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (January 6, 2008) – The associates of Averitt Express recently donated $500,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers. The funds were formally presented to the hospital at an event in Memphis, Tennessee.
The donation, which was collected entirely from Averitt associate contributions, is the single largest ever made to a charitable organization by Averitt Cares for Kids, Averitt's associate-giving program. Over the course of its 22-year history, Averitt Cares for Kids members have donated more than $2.4 million to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Included in that total is a $1.5 million endowment toward the Averitt Express Leukemia/Lymphoma Clinic at St. Jude.
"We are so grateful to Averitt Express and its associates for their support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital," said David L. McKee, chief operating officer and interim CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. "This generous gift will ensure that St. Jude can continue conducting groundbreaking research and providing lifesaving care for children from around the world."
Thanks in part to the monetary support of organizations like Averitt Express, physicians and scientists at St. Jude have pioneered treatments that have helped push the overall survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent when the hospital opened in 1962 to more than 70 percent today. The survival rate for the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, has risen from just 4 percent in 1962 to 94 percent today.
According to Gary D. Sasser, Averitt’s president and CEO, the associates of Averitt are extremely family-oriented, so supporting an organization like St. Jude comes naturally to them.
"Averitt associates truly believe in taking care of each other, and they’re committed to giving back to their communities," Sasser stated. "Every life is precious and we’re proud to play a small part in helping St. Jude improve the survival rates of children with deadly childhood diseases. We certainly hope to see even more lives saved in the future."
Averitt Cares for Kids was one of the first associate-supported charities of its kind when it was launched in 1986. It is 100 percent funded by voluntary contributions from Averitt associates and has made a difference in the lives of children.
Since its creation, Averitt Cares for Kids has donated nearly $5 million to charities, including St. Jude.
About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit www.stjude.org.
About Averitt Express
Established in 1971, Averitt Express is a leading provider of freight transportation and supply chain management with international reach to more than 100 countries. The company specializes in delivering customized solutions with a single source of accountability for service offerings that include less-than-truckload, truckload, time-critical, importing/exporting and supply chain management. Backed by successful execution for hundreds of customers, Averitt’s supply chain management capabilities include dedicated fleet operations, warehousing services and transportation management.
