The effort to eradicate childhood cancers has gotten a nice boost.
Friday was the final day of this year’s annual St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Radiothon put on by West Virginia Radio Corporation and West Virginians once again stepped up to the plate.
Over the two day Radiothon that started Thursday, a total of $182,867 was raised to help fight pediatric cancers.
Dan Warbel, Associate Director of St. Jude’s Central Region Huntington-Charleston Office, said one phone call sums up their mission.
“We had a patient family call in, a local family, that were being treated in Cincinnati with a St. Jude protocol and that’s what it’s all about,” said Warbel. “The money goes to research that we can share with hospitals all over the world to cure kids with cancer.”
Warbel said not all kids can make it to St. Judes Headquarters in Memphis for treatment and with these donations, kids don’t have to.
“It’s important that we share these protocols with hospitals so kids all over the country have the same chance of beating this horrible disease,” said Warbel.
For two days our West Virginia Radio Corporation Stations on Virginia Street transform from their normal radio station mission to a mission of hope.
Warbel said the money raised just shows the generosity of West Virginians.
“When there are people in need West Virginians step up,” said Warbel. “Year after year after year, it doesn’t matter what campaign that we do, we find that when it comes to helping these kids the phones always ring.”
Not only do the donations insure the most cutting edge research, but also insure no child is ever turned away or ever has to pay for any treatment during their stay at St. Jude.