Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority pledges $2M to hospital treating sickle cell
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital offers care at no cost to patients' families
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, a national collegiate women’s organization, has committed to raising $2 million by 2028 to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in its efforts to treat children with sickle cell disease (SCD), cancer, and other serious conditions at no cost to their families.
The funding will help to support the costs associated with treatments, travel, and other necessities. Last year, the sorority raised $1 million for St. Jude.
Based in Memphis, Tennessee, the research hospital states on its mission webpage that families of children under its care “never receive a bill … for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live, regardless of the duration or the cost of care.”
A onetime or monthly donations can be made online, or by participating in St. Jude Walk/Run 5K events taking place in September and October across several U.S. cities. Participants may enter as part of a team or individually.
‘Greater Service, Greater Progress’ is the motto of the sorority
“I am profoundly grateful for the unwavering dedication of our partner, Sigma Gamma Rho, which made history last year as the first sorority in the National Pan-Hellenic Council to raise $1 million for the kids of St. Jude and has now committed to doubling that impact in the years ahead,” Richard C. Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, said in a press release.
Other ways to participate include becoming a fundraiser for St. Jude, either directly or through the St. Jude Walk/Run app, or by volunteering at a walk/run event.
“The progress St. Jude has made for sickle cell patients is inspiring and we look forward to helping continue those advances. We recognize and support how St. Jude embodies our motto, ‘Greater Service, Greater Progress,’ for children everywhere,” said Marica T. Harris, Sigma Gamma Rho’s international president.
SCD is caused by mutations in the HBB gene that result in the production of an abnormal version of hemoglobin — the protein responsible for carrying oxygen in red blood cells — called hemoglobin S. Mutated hemoglobin tends to clump inside red blood cells, making them acquire a sickle-like shape, which slows or blocks blood flow.
As a consequence, oxygen delivery to the body’s tissues can be compromised and result in episodes of sudden and severe pain, known as vaso-occlusive crises, and other disease symptoms such as anemia, marked by low levels of red blood cells or hemoglobin.
These symptoms generally start during the first year of life, and in many countries, including the U.S., sickle cell screening is part of routine newborn screening. Children with SCD are particularly susceptible to infections.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, founded in 1922 by a group of Black female educators at Butler University in Indiana, has more than 500 chapters across the U.S. and world. Its stated mission is to empower women throughout life’s various stages.
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