Cam Praises St. Jude as ‘Amazing Incubator for Hope’
Cam really digs in and investigates when she's looking for causes to get behind, but she never questions giving to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. During an interview in Memphis, Tenn., as part of a past St. Jude Country Cares Seminar, the singer said this cause passed her tests with flying colors.
"The cool thing about what Country Cares does, is even before you realize what you're learning, you're learning that this community has taken it on to remind all of us that it is your responsibility as a human being, as a citizen of the country world, to give back," she notes. "As you pick out who you're going to give back to, there are better and worse choices. And I don't feel bad saying that. There are nonprofits that are not run well, and you should question them and vet them out, and this place has yet to not answer a question 100-percent."
Cam adds that she likes to be critical of charity organizations, explaining that people should really research the place they are thinking about donating their money to. During her first tour of St. Jude, she got all of her questions answered and was blown away by the different branches of the hospital.
Another aspect of St. Jude that won her over? Families don't have to pay a dime for treatment or housing while their child is receiving care at the facility. The hospital itself is kid friendly: The walls are painted with bright colors, and patients can often be seen pulled around in little red wagons. Additionally, medicines are developed in-house, as is ongoing research to end childhood cancer.
"A lot of time research institutions ... some of my background is in research and you get limited by the grants you can get, you get limited by the patients you have access to, and those are two things right here," Cam says. "It's well-funded, you have access to all these kids. It's a really incredibly, amazing incubator for hope and answers that doesn't exist many other places at all."
Over the next two days (Feb. 4-5), The Boot, Taste of Country and radio stations nationwide will bring awareness to St. Jude and ask for your support. Become a Partner in Hope for just $19 a month and get the enjoyment of knowing you're a part of St. Jude's We Won't Stop commitment. You'll even get a sharp, red T-shirt to show off.
This is The Boot and Townsquare Media's seventh radiothon for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Our $11 million raised is a small, but important part of the nearly $1 billion raised through Country Cares, the Randy Owen-founded initiative that started more than 30 years ago.