Late St. Jude Memphis Marathon Director Honored with Hero Among Us Award

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The late Don “Dwight” Drinkard was honored tonight with the 2024 St. Jude Hero Among Us Award for selfless devotion and outstanding achievement in raising funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®. His children and family accepted the award on his behalf at the St. Jude Heroes^® Pasta Party at the Renasant Convention Center. Drinkard, who passed away in August 2024, spent decades supporting St. Jude in multiple capacities, including as the former FedEx St. Jude Classic Director and one of the creators of the St. Jude Memphis Marathon.

A longtime Memphian, Drinkard combined his love for athletics with his passion for the St. Jude mission. He became a fixture in the Memphis golf community and was the FedEx St. Jude Classic Director from 1987 through 1999, before the Memphis-based golf tournament became known as the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He went on to work at ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, from 2000 to 2013, where he served as the first Director of Sports Marketing. In this role, he transformed the St. Jude Memphis Marathon from a race of a few hundred people into the event it is today, attracting thousands of participants, volunteers and spectators to Memphis each year.

“We are honored to have been able to recognize Dwight with the 2024 Hero Among Us award. Dwight was devoted to supporting the families of St. Jude and left behind an incredible legacy. Thanks to his tireless work, the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend has grown to become the largest single-day fundraiser for St. Jude,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC. “Dwight would be thrilled to know that there are more than 23,000 people participating in this year’s St. Jude Memphis Marathon, a race he helped bring to life. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the great city of Memphis filled with people here to support St. Jude kids and their families and Dwight was a big part of that.”

Events like the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend help ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.^® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.