Dancing and Fundraising for St. Jude

We are so proud of the energy our team pours into their fundraising efforts in honor of R&A’s annual support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year, our very own Sarah Bartley, Creative Manager, launched a self-designed fundraising campaign inspired by a darling St. Jude patient who loves to sing and dance.

When Sarah read three-year-old Hadley’s triumphant story of beating acute myeloid leukemia at St. Jude, it was clear this strong and resilient little girl was going to be at the center of her fundraising efforts. Sarah explains, “Messages of strength and endurance often surround stories of patients, but the idea of celebration really captured my attention.”

A gifted artist, Sarah put her talent and craft to work. She illustrated a pair of shoes with the phrase, “Put on your dancing shoes,” as inspired by Hadley’s love for music. In collaboration with Bonfire, a custom apparel company helping people fundraise for a good cause, Sarah submitted her design to be printed on t-shirts and baseball tees. She hit the streets of Norfolk with local photographer Gian Valdivia to capture assets to promote her initiative.

For two months leading up to the local St. Jude Walk | Run, she sold 27 shirts which contributed to the $1,550 she raised for St. Jude. Sarah was so impressed with her community of friends and family who helped her succeed her goal.

My hope is those who interacted with this campaign encountered joy and celebration in the life-changing work of St. Jude.” She continues, “St. Jude does a great job celebrating the end of a patient’s treatment by throwing them a celebration party, and I wanted to expand upon that so people within my circle of influence could also celebrate.”

And the celebration goes on! R&A’s dedication to philanthropy runs deep. Together, we raised over $22,000 this year and over $125,000 since 2012 for St. Jude. This is all made possible by our compassionate and giving networks who give back to change lives. In the words of St. Jude, together we can end childhood cancer.

Find out more behind our team’s philanthropic mission to give back.

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