Stars of Film, Television, Sports and Music Join Marlo Thomas to Kick Off the 6th Annual Thanks and Giving(R) Campaign to Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(R)

Stars of Film, Television, Sports and Music Join Marlo Thomas to Kick Off the
6th Annual Thanks and Giving(R) Campaign to Support St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital(R)
Jennifer Aniston, Robin Williams, Antonio Banderas and Reggie Bush return in
this year's TV Spots asking America to support St. Jude while shopping this
holiday season

NEW YORK, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
launched the sixth annual Thanks and Giving campaign, an unprecedented union
of celebrities, media, retail and corporate partners that ask consumers to
"Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are
not." The announcement was made today by Marlo Thomas, national outreach
director for St. Jude.

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For the first time, GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer and songwriter Luis Fonsi
stars in broadcast and print ads in Spanish-language markets around the United
States and Puerto Rico. Luis Fonsi will be the celebrity ambassador for the
St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign in the Hispanic community. Carrie
Underwood and Darius Rucker have volunteered their time to the Thanks and
Giving campaign this year to record special radio messages that can be heard
on more than 200 stations around the country.

Returning to the Thanks and Giving campaign this year are long-time celebrity
friends, Jennifer Aniston, Robin Williams, Antonio Banderas and New Orleans
Saints' Reggie Bush, who star in the heartwarming national television spots
with patients from St. Jude that air during the holiday season. The
television spots are produced each year by award-winning producer/director
Tony Thomas, the son of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital founder, Danny
Thomas.

"We are thrilled that such incredible people in the entertainment community
lend their talents and time to support the Thanks and Giving campaign," said
Marlo Thomas. "Their generosity impacts the lives of children with cancer and
other catastrophic diseases in America and across the world."

The Thanks and Giving campaign continues to receive support from celebrity
friends, such as the Jonas Brothers who have provided a special video, with
the new social networking component offering interactive ways for people to
individually tailor their support for the children of St. Jude. I give my
voice encourages Facebook and Twitter users to post messages about their
support of St. Jude and become online advocates for the hospital. Through I
give my vision, visitors to the Thanks and Giving Web site can use YouTube to
post videos detailing why they support the hospital or share existing St. Jude
videos with others. Visitors to the Thanks and Giving site can also choose I
give my energy and become an online fundraiser for the hospital.

The Thanks and Giving campaign enlists many of the country's leading brands
and most respected businesses to help support the lifesaving work of St. Jude,
the nation's leading pediatric research and treatment center devoted solely to
children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases, by raising funds and
awareness.

The 2009 campaign welcomes more than 50 partners, who have united during the
competitive holiday retail season to raise awareness and funds that are vital
to continuing the research and treatment taking place at St. Jude. Returning
partners include Target, CVS/pharmacy, Kmart, Kay Jewelers, Dick's Sporting
Goods, AutoZone, Williams-Sonoma, Inc, Gymboree, Ann Taylor, New York &
Company, Dollar General, HSN, AOL, Brooks Brothers, Domino's Pizza, The
Melting Pot, and many more.

"Our partners make a true commitment each holiday season to help save the
lives of children being treated at St. Jude by asking their customers to
donate to the Thanks and Giving campaign during their holiday shopping," said
Ms. Thomas. "It is only with these outstanding partners' and their customers'
generous support that we are able to never turn a child away because of a
family's inability to pay."

New partners to this year's campaign include Chico's, Reebok, Ticketmaster,
Harry & David and Anna's Linens. The Thanks and Giving campaign, which begins
Thanksgiving week and continues through the end of the year, and its partners
ask consumers to join them in making a contribution to St. Jude to help save
lives of children in communities everywhere.

The television spots will air across broadcast, Hispanic and cable networks in
English and Spanish, and a 60-second movie trailer will be featured on more
than 20,000 movie screens nationwide in Regal Theaters, CineMark, AMC, and
others, as well as on American Airlines flights.

Since its inception, St. Jude has developed protocols that have helped push
survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 20 percent to 80 percent
overall. When St. Jude opened its doors in 1962, the survival rate for acute
lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, was 4
percent. Today, the survival rate for this once deadly disease is 94 percent
thanks to research and treatment protocols developed at St. Jude. And, during
the past three years, 84 cents of every dollar received supports the research
and treatment at St. Jude.

The Thanks and Giving initiative was created in 2004 by Marlo Thomas and her
siblings Terre and Tony Thomas, children of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas, to
build awareness and raise funds for St. Jude during a season that exemplifies
thanks and giving to so many. The funds raised by the campaign impact the
lives of children in communities across the country. Consumers are asked to
shop at companies where the St. Jude Thanks and Giving green magnifying glass
logo is displayed; donate online at www.stjude.org, or purchase specialty
merchandise created by the partners to support the campaign. A list of
fundraising partners is available at www.stjude.org or call 1-800-4STJUDE
(1-800-478-5833); or in Spanish by logging onto www.dargracias.org or calling
1-800-2STJUDE (1-800-278-5833).

Customers are encouraged to participate by:

-- Adding a donation at registers during the check-out process or online
while shopping at participating partners where you see the St. Jude
Thanks and Giving magnifying glass logo. Visit www.stjude.org for a
complete list of participating partners.
-- Purchasing specialty merchandise at participating partners to benefit
St. Jude.

-- Donating online at www.stjude.org, or by calling 1-800-4STJUDE. Also,
make a donation in memory or honor of a loved one and send a special
Thanks and Giving tribute card. Tribute cards can be found on the St.
Jude Web site.

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.

Related Links
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Espanol)
http://www.youtube.com/mystjude
http://www.facebook.com/stjude
http://www.twitter.com/stjude

SOURCE St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Katie Schroeder, +1-212-843-8036, kschroeder@rubenstein.com, or Jaclyn
Benedetto, +1-212-843-9397, jbenedetto@rubenstein.com, both of Rubenstein
Communications