LPGA Tour pro athletes to ‘Score 1 for St. Jude’ through annual hole-in-one campaign

CME Group raised $1 million last year for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--How much is a hole in one worth? For CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, it’s $20,000; that’s how much it will donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^® for every hole in one scored during the LPGA Tour season, teeing off earlier this month at Lake Nona Golf Course in Orlando, FL. The donation is part of the annual Score 1 for St. Jude campaign, which has raised more than $3.2 million for the renowned children’s research hospital since the program started in 2018.

“We are so grateful for the dedication of CME Group, which has found a creative way to bring together LPGA athletes and golf fans to accelerate research and treatment to help kids across the world,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Given the incredible season these LPGA golfers had in 2022, we know 2023 will be even better — with many more aces to come.”

“St. Jude plays a critical role in treating children’s cancer, and we are honored to support their mission to ensure no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for their child’s care,” said CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy. “We are pleased to continue our Score 1 for St. Jude competition in 2023. While getting a hole in one is always a thrill, the fact that it also raises money for such a worthy cause makes the achievement even more special for the LPGA golfers and all the fans.”

St. Jude cancer patient Mary Browder has attended the CME Group Championship annually for the last four years, playing in the CME Group Tour Championship Pro-Am. Browder, who grew up on the golf course tagging along with her dad, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at 11. After six years of treatment by St. Jude, she is now cancer free and credits golf with an important part of her life during treatment and recovery.

The first stop of the 2023 LPGA Tour was Orlando, Florida, Jan. 19-22 with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona, Fla. and will conclude a few miles south at the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples on Nov. 19. It encompasses 33 tournaments with stops in Thailand, Singapore and China, and a record prize fund of $101.4 million.

Support the kids of St. Jude by donating at StJude.org/CMEGroup.

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 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 Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.