On Dec. 3, the streets of downtown Memphis will be filled with runners for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend. Thousands of these runners will run with a special purpose in mind: being a hero for children fighting cancer and other serious diseases. One of these heroes is Michael Taquino.
Taquino, the deputy director of the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center on campus, has been a longtime contributor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and found the St. Jude Heroes program as the perfect opportunity to help raise money for the hospital.
Taquino discovered the program in 2007 when he ran the marathon for fun.
“(I) got to experience all of the runners that were doing fundraising as well (as running),” he said. “I saw that firsthand and I saw the involvement of those folks, kinda the excitement around it and just obviously the important job they were doing, so I thought, next time I would do this, I would love to be able to be the fundraiser.”
Alongside his wife, Rosy, Taquino has worked hard to raise money for the event.
“I was ready to run the marathon again. I saw an opportunity to do something more than what we were normally doing,” he said. “It’s a very important group, so let’s go for it.”
St. Jude is a nonprofit hospital that takes $1.7 million per day to operate, which it receives mostly through donations. Out of every dollar received, 81 cents is used to further its research and treatment programs.
Families from every state that come to the hospital never have to pay for treatment that is not covered by their insurance, and no child is ever denied treatment if his or her family is unable to pay for it. Much of the research and treatment developed at St. Jude has increased the survival rate of children suffering from diseases such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which it raised from 4 percent in 1962 to the current 94 percent.
According to the St. Jude Heroes website, last year more than 6,000 participants raised over $3 million for the marathon, which went directly toward helping St. Jude’s cause.
The Heroes program works by allowing participants to create a web page on the main site through which individuals may donate. Those who donate money can have their names placed on the program’s page as a sponsor. After the marathon, the money each hero has raised is given to St. Jude.
The goal of the Heroes program is to raise $3 million by the time of the race. At the moment, the program has raised just over $1 million.
Taquino said he is hoping to raise between $1,500 and $2,000.
“I’ve never fundraised before; Rosy’s never fundraised before. We thought this is a good chance to jump into this and let’s see what we can do,” he said.
Next April, he hopes to help start discussion about forming a MSU team for fundraising and training for next year’s marathon.
“This is something that could become more of an MSU-oriented service option,” he said.
Although this is Taquino’s second marathon, he said he does not think it will be his last.
“If there are people who are interested in doing that next year, I would certainly be interested in running again and fundraising again,” he said. “Especially if there is a group that is able to come together. That would be fantastic.”