It’s been nearly 5 years since the Brizo Blogger19 Reunion took place in Memphis, Tennessee. Over 75 designers and bloggers from Dubai, Canada, and all over the United States spent three jam-packed days reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones, touring St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the Target House, as well as the Delta and Brizo Factory. We sprinkled in a few unforgettable cocktail parties and dinners, too! One of the most memorable events during the week included our time at St. Jude Children’s Hospital and its related Target House.
Every year, the St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway gives thousands of people the opportunity to win a beautiful, brand new home — made possible through the tireless efforts of volunteer builders, and constructed using donated land, labor, and materials, including more than $4 million in Brizo products and donations. Money raised during the St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway helps fund the lifesaving work of St. Jude. The money raised helps fund research and treatment efforts for St. Jude – and help countless children live out their dreams. We were able to see some of that while in Tennessee, learning that it takes $1.8 million dollars a day to fully operate the hospital. Patients and their families do not pay a dime for the treatment received at the hospital.
Touring the hospital, we learned about the history of the center as walked the wings and met patients and their families. We spent time with the patients through some Brizo specific activities — constructing a dollhouse, playing in a photo booth, and coloring pictures and tiles.
The hospital has an atrium featuring international flags, each representing the countries that the St. Jude Children’s Hospital researchers come from. The hospital is unique in that it shares each cancer research discovery with other hospitals. They truly believe in finding cancer cures, regardless of whom receives the ultimate accolades.
We also toured the Target House, a center for patients and their families to stay in while receiving treatment for longer periods of time—as short as three weeks and as long as three years. The facility features public living areas and sitting rooms, a dining room, craft room, gym, and media room; all designed by celebrities such as Tiger Woods, Amy Grant, Shaun White and Brad Paisley. Corridors of the Target House are lined with a collection of artwork contributed by celebrities, too—think John Mayer, Jennifer Aniston, and Vince Gill.
After a full day of touring these facilities, we finished off our evening with a Brizo + St. Jude Children’s Hospital dinner, complete with dueling piano entertainment, in one of the historic ballrooms of The Peabody Hotel.
Each month we like to feature a cause to give back to. Remembering my time at the St. Jude Children’s Hospital spurred this throwback to the past. Please consider a donation to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
