In nine short years, a fundraiser that started out pulling in $30,000 has upped its most recent haul to 20 times that amount.
And on May 21, when Discover the Dream marks its 10th year, organizers hope to continue to grow that number.
Since its inception, the gala has raised more than $3.4 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, which is committed to treating illness irrespective of families’ abilities to pay.
Highlights of the event, hosted by Jack Hanna at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, include dinner, cocktails, a raffle, silent and live auctions and information on the children whose lives have been improved or even saved by the hospital.
When brother and sister David Karam and Lisa Khourie started Discover the Dream, they did it with the goal of getting central Ohio more involved with St. Jude by not only raising money, but by spreading awareness of its great cause. Hanna – whose daughter Julie was treated for leukemia at St. Jude – joined the second year.
“We’ve actually attracted more people who want to get involved in not only our event, but other events for St. Jude’s, (and) we’re having more of an interest for people to go down and see the hospital,” Khourie says. “Once (people) get involved, they get attached to the cause.”
It’s those people who get involved who keep Discover the Dream running smoothly. Volunteer coordinator Laura Swisher, who has attended Discover the Dream for four years and acted as volunteer coordinator for two, is one such staunch supporter.
“(We aim to) remind people of the amazing work that St. Jude’s does in research and providing for families and kids,” Swisher says. “When you have a sick child, you shouldn’t have to worry about anything other than making your child well. You shouldn’t have to worry about paying.”
Last year, through tickets and the silent and live auctions, the event garnered a little more than $600,000, almost $100,000 up from 2013. These funds go to helping the nearly 7,800 patients who seek aid at St. Jude every year.
“Our first year, we barely raised $30,000,” Khourie says. “(This year will be) an evening of where we were, how we’ve gotten here and where we’re going.”
Tickets are $175 per person or $1,750 for a table of 10. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $25 or five for $100. Visit www.stjude.org/discoverthedream for more information.
Discover the Dream
Benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
May 21, 6 p.m.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Rd.
Elizabeth Tzagournis is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
