AVERITT CARES FOR KIDS

Hi, everyone at Averitt. It's Rick Shadyac with ALSAC St. Jude. You are such a vital member of our St. Jude family. This year, through your associate participation in the Averitt Cares for Kids program, you raised a spectacular 1.5 million dollars. That's an amazing number, and it's all because of your Power of One program. What an extraordinary level of engagement that is. It's no surprise you received the 2024 Workplace Giving Partner of the Year award. We are all so inspired by your creative ways of supporting St. Jude through team up challenges, annual softball tournaments, and the donation of Hot Wheels for the children. This incredible support has helped St. Jude reach its arms around the world to embrace generations of kids and give them a second chance at life. You know, this time of year, more than anything, is about family. And I want you to know today that through our ongoing work together on behalf of the patients of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, you are family. Families have history, and for St. Jude that legacy is rich, dating back to nineteen sixty two when we first opened our doors. Back then, childhood cancer was considered mostly incurable. But in the years since, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from twenty percent to more than eighty percent, and we won't stop until no child dies from cancer. Families have purpose, and for us that purpose is to continue our groundbreaking research and provide vital medical treatments to find cures and save children's lives. And St. Jude shares its breakthroughs, so each child saved at St. Jude means countless more kids saved around the globe. Families have hope, and at St. Jude, that hope is a beacon in the darkness. With you by our side, we've been able to keep that fundamental promise of St. Jude founder, Danny Thomas, that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. And so we stand together as families do best, united in this beautiful mission, ensuring the first class care our kids receive today will be there for the patients of tomorrow. On behalf of everyone at St. Jude, especially the kids and families in our care, thank you. Thank you for your support of this life saving, world changing mission.