1 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Strictly Business Varieties, weekly podcast featuring conversations with 2 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. I'm 3 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: Cynthia Littleton, co editor in chief of Variety. Today, my 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: guest is producer Tony Thomas. Tony is an extremely accomplished 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 1: writer and producer who is a partner in Wit Thomas 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: and Wick Thomas Harris productions. Think The Golden Girls, Soap Benson, 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: Empty Nest, Nurses, The John Laraquette Show, and many more. 8 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: One of their shows is always airing somewhere on cable 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: and streaming, and these days they're also being remade somewhere. 10 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: But today, on December, I'm talking to Tony about a 11 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: different story, a truly touching, real life story of Hollywood 12 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: philanthropy that has changed the world and saved the lives 13 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: of hundreds of children facing terminal illness. Tony is the 14 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 1: son of entertainer Danny Thomas. Danny Thomas made his name 15 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: as a nightclub performer, but he became a household name 16 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: as the star of the nineteen fifties sitcom Make Room 17 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: for Daddy. He went on to partner with Sheldon Leonard 18 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: as the producer of the Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle, 19 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: That Girl which starred Tony's sister Marlo Thomas, The Dick 20 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: Van Dyke Show, and I Spy, to name a few. 21 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: In the late nineteen fifties, Plush with success, Danny Thomas 22 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: founded St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This is a living, 23 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: breathing charity that stands as impressive as anything ever produced 24 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: by Hollywood, and it's a heartwarming example of the fortitude 25 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: of first and second generation immigrants driven to give back 26 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: to their adopted country. The larger story of Danny's inspiration 27 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: to launch St. Jude has been well told for the years, 28 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: but it bears repeating, especially at this time of year. 29 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: It's a beautiful example of how one person, being moved 30 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: by tragedy can bring a measure of hope and equity 31 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: to the most vulnerable among us. That's all coming up 32 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: after the break, and we're back with the story of St. 33 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: Jude Children's Research Hospital with producer Tony Thomas. This all 34 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: started literally in your family's kitchen. Can you can you 35 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: take me back to what you remember from those days 36 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: in the late fifties when your father got the got 37 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 1: the drive in the inspiration, well, he had the drive 38 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: in the inspiration in the thirties because it was at 39 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: that point in time that my sister Mama was being 40 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: born and he had trained to St. Jude to please 41 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,519 Speaker 1: show him his way in life, not that he would 42 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: be successful, to just show him views on the right path. 43 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: And he I won't go into all that story, but 44 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: it's very interesting, uh, and he uh he got the 45 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: sign he felt to stay in show business. And then 46 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: in the fifties when he started to do very well, 47 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: was when he decided he needed to make a move 48 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: on on what he was what he had promised, which 49 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: was to do something in the honor of St. Jud 50 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: Children's St. Jude. So he uh he decided that a 51 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: hospital would be a perfect thing to do. After seeing 52 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: a article where a young black child was hit by 53 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: a white driver in Mississippi, and during that time that 54 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: the man picked the child up, uh drove around to 55 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: several hospitals and no hospital would take the little boy. 56 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: By the time the little boy God admitted, the little 57 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: boy had died. So my father said, I'm going to 58 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: build a hospital in the South where no child has 59 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: turned away for race, religion, or anything else. So that 60 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: is how it got that is how south. Uh. And 61 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: at the dining room table they started to figure out 62 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: how it was going to do it, who he's going 63 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: on the list, and start to raise the funds to 64 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: take on the project. Would you say, I mean that 65 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: shows a real a huge heart and a sort of 66 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: an awareness. At that time, obviously the civil rights movement 67 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 1: was the modern civil rights movement was starting to get going. 68 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: But would you say, was he somebody that was aware 69 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: of the civil rights situation, aware of inequities inequities for people? Oh? Well, 70 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: first of all, my father grew up very poor, and 71 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: he lived in a neighborhood where people died of appendicitiss 72 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: children died of a pendicitisis or tetanus or various infections 73 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: that they never should have died from because they couldn't 74 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: afford medical care. So that was always in the back 75 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: of his mind, I know, all of his life. Uh 76 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 1: and uh. And then that on top of the racial inequities. Um, 77 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: he just felt there needed to be a place where 78 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: people who couldn't afford to go could go. And when 79 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: he found the piece of property, was given the piece 80 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: of property in Memphis, UM, which was a wonderful gift. 81 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: He decided that it was shouldn't only be a hospital, 82 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: it should be a research hospital. He came to that 83 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,720 Speaker 1: decision because a wonderful doctor by the name of A. 84 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: Meal Digs, who was working in sickle cell at the 85 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: time and cancers. So we don't need a hospital, we 86 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: need to find out what's making these kids sick. And 87 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 1: some of my father said all right, well, let's do that. 88 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: And so that was the beginning, and then he went 89 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: about using every hounds of energy he had between doing 90 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: a show and doing his nightclub act to go about 91 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: raising the funds. Again, I just I want to draw 92 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: you out on the fundraising that it took. It took 93 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: years of fundraising just to build the organization. And we've 94 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: all had those moments of seeing something in the newspapers. 95 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: Are you know now seeing something on the news that 96 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: moves you so much and and sometimes you're even moved 97 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: to write a check in the moment. But to think 98 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: the sustained commitment to Saint Jude for the rest of 99 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: his life and now it's spanned. You know, your father 100 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: left us in and I just think of all the 101 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,799 Speaker 1: children that have been served by that determination. It's really 102 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: just incredible. It is and he left us. Modeltary and 103 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: I with this in desire to keep the institution as 104 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: strong as possible, and we've done so. We created the 105 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 1: thanks and Giving Program, which it is eighteen years old now, 106 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: but it's raised over a billion dollars and it happens 107 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: during the holiday season every year that we came up with, 108 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: which we were very pleased that we can make that 109 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: kind of a contribution, of which Marlowe is the spokesperson 110 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: for the institution and she works very hard at that. 111 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 1: But in the beginning, there was no hospital. There was 112 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: just Dad wanting to raise money for his dream. And 113 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: so he went to his gang, his Hollywood gang, Bob 114 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: Hope and Jack Denny and George Burns and Notton Burrow 115 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: and u uh Dinah Shore, Jackie Gleason, Frank Sinatra, uh 116 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: Sammy Davis Jr. All those people, Jerry Lewis, all of those. 117 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: These are these names that are flying into my head, 118 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: but there are many, many more. And he and he 119 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: asked them to do benefits for the for the benefit 120 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: of St. Ch Chilln's Research Hospital, and uh they did 121 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: it and it was so amazing. Is Uh there wasn't 122 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: a hospital yet, but it's what he wanted to do 123 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: and he believed he could get it done. And those folks, 124 00:07:54,920 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: Uh god Dinah Shore and Mitsy, there's so many, so 125 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: many people went out and they did things called Shower 126 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: of the Stars, and my father kind of hosted it, 127 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: did a bit of his own and these handful, two 128 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: or three at a time would go somewhere in the country, 129 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: sell the place out, and all the funds would go 130 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: to building of the hospital. And that was the beginning 131 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: of it. It was the beginning of the how it 132 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: was born in show business. And the uber agent a 133 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: blast Vocal who was his agent, who random we have 134 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: more agency at the time, and Paul Ziffen, who was 135 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:35,839 Speaker 1: probably the most powerful attorney in Los Angeles at the time. 136 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: They helped him also form a small corporation in Los 137 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: Angeles so they could raise the funds, do it and 138 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: collect the funds. And it really you know, he had 139 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: he had the momentum, but what he needed so much 140 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: more so he being an Arab American second generation, he 141 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: just iided that he would go to the communities in 142 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: America where there were groups of Arab Americans and he 143 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: would go to them and say, let's show America. We 144 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: deserve to be here. Let's show America that we are 145 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: good citizens and we want to give back because we 146 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: are thankful for this opportunity. And he was speaking in 147 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: all these various cities, two shopkeepers and furniture stores and 148 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: people and car dealerships and uh, you know, somewhat middle 149 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: class to upper and very middle class to lower Arab Americans, saying, 150 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: please help me do this. And he went from town 151 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: to town to town to town in America, and they 152 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: all gathered around him, and he raised kept raising funds 153 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: between Hollywood and the Araban American community, and then eventually, 154 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: you know, it became a community of America who contributes 155 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: to the hospital. And thanks to our donors, which is 156 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,319 Speaker 1: about se at least of our of our budget, the 157 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: donor has contributed. We um, we keep going. It's I 158 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: mean again, I can't stress enough you're this. This happened 159 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: at a time when your father was a performer himself, 160 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: producing shows like the Andy Griffith Show and I Spy 161 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: and I mean this, this road show, this level, the 162 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: Dick Van Dyk Show, yeah, the little show called the 163 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: Dick Van Dyck Show. This level of commitment. But also, 164 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: as you say, like reaching out to these immigrant communities. 165 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: It's just it's just to me, it's just the best 166 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: of America is all wrapped up. It is. It's such 167 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 1: a beautiful it's such a beautiful story. It's America's hospital. 168 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 1: It truly is. But you know when people talk about immigration, 169 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: and it is it's polarizing. But immigrants contributed a great 170 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: deal of this country and they certainly help sent your 171 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: Childre's research. And now today that the kind of the 172 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: parent fundraising organization for St. Jude is all sack with 173 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: if we if I get this right, the American Lebanese 174 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: Syrian Associated Charities, Americanities Associated Charities, Yes, that was the 175 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: in a handful of years after everything that I just 176 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: told you, Uh, they incorporated in Illinois, Uh, and that 177 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: became the headquarters for a while, and they called it 178 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: ALSAC because at that moment in time, it was indeed 179 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: those people, uh and their families that contributed so much money. 180 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: And from those people that Dad went down to town. 181 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: He found very enthusiastic ten twelve men and women who 182 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: were of heritage, and he created the board out of that, 183 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: he created the board of St. Jude and the board 184 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: of ALSAC. Which was the same board, because he believed 185 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 1: the people that raise the money should be people that 186 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: spent the money, so they wouldn't spend it frivolously because 187 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: they knew how hard it was to raise. So that 188 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 1: was the original um. That was the genesis of what 189 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: ALSAC was then now it's now, it's you know, there 190 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: are there are various nationalities on our board, many second generations. 191 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: I would say about ten second generation, including myself, uh 192 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: and and a lot of other volunteers who cared deeply 193 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: and who are on our board for the sole purpose of, 194 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: you know, keeping the mission a lot. Don't go anywhere. 195 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,559 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more on the St. Jude 196 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: story from Tony Thomas. And we're back with more from 197 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,199 Speaker 1: producer Tony Thomas on the origin story of St. Jude 198 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: Children's Research Hospital. We've all seen where great charities can 199 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: do great work for ten years, twenty years, you're you're 200 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: heading towards seventy seventy plus. Now do you remember do 201 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: you remember, I believe if I've got the date right, 202 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty three when the hospital facility open, do 203 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: you remember that day two? Yes, I'm sorry it was 204 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: off by year. Yeah, sixty two. Yeah, it was a 205 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: big day in our lives. It was. My father said 206 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 1: when he opened the doors, he honestly didn't believe he 207 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: lived to see it built. He thought it would get built, 208 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: but he figured he'd be dead by the time it 209 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: got built. And he was very, very thrilled. Then he 210 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 1: also saw about of our current expansion. He lived to 211 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 1: see and since then he wouldn't recognize the place. I mean, 212 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: we have just started a thirteen billion dollar expansion program, 213 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: which you know he was They were hoping to raise 214 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: a million five to build the hospital, and he would 215 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: he would be quite surprised at where we are today. 216 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: And your father is buried on the on the grounds 217 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: of St. Jude in Memphis, Is that correct? Yes, there 218 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: is a crip where both here and my mother are 219 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: buried in the front of the hospital, you away from 220 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: the buildings and everything that we created a little garden, 221 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: you know, he said, doing that he wanted on his 222 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: tombstone was founder. Uh no, no other embellishments. And so 223 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: we put over the crypt founder Danny Thomas. And he's 224 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: there and he's I know, he's very happy to be there. 225 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: What it must be hard to kind of encapsulate. But 226 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: what what has it meant for your life? It's this 227 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: has been a factor in most of your life being 228 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: part of St. Jude. Yeah, well, we always used to 229 00:14:57,840 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: joke we thought St. Jude was an uncle, you know, 230 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: was used so much in our house. Um, I mean 231 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: we remember times at the dinner table over day we 232 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: get up in the very very early days and he'd 233 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: take a call from from the hospital and he'd come 234 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: back either jubilant or or destroyed because the child had died. 235 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 1: And this was I'm talking very early days. And Dr 236 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: Pinkel was the doctor that broke the back of leukemia 237 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: and introduced cured to leukemia after the fifth protocol. He 238 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: tried because he said it was just he didn't want 239 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: to He didn't want to be in the mortuary business. 240 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: He wanted to save children's lives. And he came to 241 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: us at a very young age thirty something thirty three, 242 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 1: and from there he Uh, it was just a combination 243 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 1: of a lot of a lot of blessed moments where 244 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 1: this this doctor who was at Dana Farber and had 245 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: a way he wanted to approach it, and they didn't 246 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: want to approach it that way. Saw that there was 247 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: an opening to run this since the tuition and came 248 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: to do so. And so my father and he and 249 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: this board who actually at times had to pay the 250 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: salary of the people that worked at the hospital because 251 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: we weren't raising as much funds necessary, so they would 252 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: reach into their pocket and pay salaries to keep the 253 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: institution going. And you know, now we've got a good 254 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: uh more chest uh and uh we need it because 255 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: of these trying times and for recruiting and for more 256 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: buildings that are coming, and more machinery and more new 257 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: science that we find and others find that we can 258 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: build upon. I mean, it's it's a long way. It's 259 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: a long way from guys going into their pockets to 260 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: make payroll. It's I have written about in recently about 261 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: you know the influencers that you've tapped. You know, these 262 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: video game stars whole hold hold twenty four hour telethons 263 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 1: on Twitch and you know raise seven figures. It's just this, 264 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 1: this story is just so so very smart on the fundraising, 265 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: and again the motivation is just so there. I very 266 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 1: proudly am a monthly donor and I wear my Saint 267 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: Jude pin and I always get comments. Somebody always says, Oh, 268 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 1: it's just it is just it's just just one of 269 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: the best things to ever come out of Hollywood. I'm 270 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: gonna say it. Yeah, Well we're we are you know, 271 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: our mission is pure finding cares and saving children. So uh, 272 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: and that's that is the mission. Whenever we debate at 273 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: the board level, where we you know, just always in 274 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: the end or in the middle to make sure we're 275 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 1: all on the same page what's the best for the children, 276 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: and we always find the way and the fund raise 277 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: an organization alsack is it is a brilliant machine. I mean, 278 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: my dad used to say he didn't want he would 279 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: did not want a millionaire given a million dollars who 280 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: wanted a million people to give a dollar. And that's 281 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: that is truly what has happened. Uh. The majority of 282 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:14,200 Speaker 1: our funds are raised by the donations and some big, 283 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: some small. We have so many stories, you know, here's 284 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: here's ten fifteen dollars. We've decided to order. We've decided 285 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: to order not to order out tonight. We're going to 286 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: make do with what's in the refrigerator because we want 287 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: sat jew Children's Research Hospital to save kids. And when 288 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:37,360 Speaker 1: you get letters like that, from from people who are 289 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: putting their trust in us and who are not you know, 290 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: ordering the pizza or going out or whatever they're gonna 291 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: do and stay home so that they can have enough 292 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: money to send us. I mean that dollars is gold 293 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: to us. I mean that just tells us we have 294 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 1: to be stewards of the nth degree to make sure 295 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: that we spend every dollar problems way. I told myself 296 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: I wasn't going to choke up on audio, but I 297 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: just did. Tony, thank you, Thank you for your commitment. 298 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: We salute your family's legacy here in a commitment and 299 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:17,160 Speaker 1: determination and drive it is. It is inspiring. I hope 300 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:21,719 Speaker 1: it inspires another generation of Danny Thomas's and Tony Thomas's 301 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 1: and St. Jude's and I am deeply grateful for your time. Well, 302 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 1: thank you, you gotta you know, our group of entertainers 303 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,959 Speaker 1: also jumped in there, Robin William, Jennifer Aniston, Antonio Banderis, 304 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:38,679 Speaker 1: Michael Strahan, so many others jumped in to help Mollow 305 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: and I start that campaign. And we have a lot 306 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: of Hollywood followers because of that, and they help us 307 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 1: at dinners across the country. So it's it all started 308 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: with my dad. And the spirit and the and the 309 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: determination that he had is in every person that is 310 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 1: that is associated close to with St. Jude and that's 311 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,400 Speaker 1: that's the if, that's our gift, that's uh that we 312 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: have that we are trying to make sure continues. It 313 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 1: speaks so much about his character, the founder. That's amazing. 314 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: Thank you again, Tony, deeply appreciated. Thanks for listening. Be 315 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: sure to leave us a review at Apple Podcast. We 316 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: love to hear from listeners. Please go to Variety dot 317 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:31,159 Speaker 1: com and sign up for our free Strictly Business newsletter, 318 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: and be sure to tune back in on January for 319 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 1: a new episode of Strictly Business