Domino’s announced the largest corporate or private financial commitment to a children’s hospital, Wednesday: a pledge to bring its fundraising total to $300 million by 2034 to benefit the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
This record announcement was delivered by Domino’s CEO Russell Weiner to over 9,000 Domino’s franchisees and their team members during the company’s 2024 Worldwide Rally in Las Vegas. This commitment will help ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – so they can focus on helping their child live.
“Our new Hungry for More growth strategy means more stores and more sales, providing even more opportunities for customers to donate to St. Jude,” says Russell Weiner, chief executive officer of Domino’s. “Since 2004 we’ve made it possible for millions of customers to simply donate a dollar or two, or round up their change, to help the children of St. Jude and their families, for which I am so grateful. Over the past twenty years those dollars and pennies have totaled over $126 million and by 2034 we believe we can get to $300 million raised by our customers for St. Jude.”
St. Jude founder Danny Thomas famously said, “I’d rather have a million people give me a dollar than one give me a million. Then you’ve got a million people involved.” Domino’s embraces this concept in its fundraising, by participating in the annual St. Jude Thanks and Giving® campaign, where customers can add a small donation to their order. Domino’s also supports St. Jude year-round by providing customers the ability to round up their change to advance ongoing work by St. Jude to accelerate research and treatment of childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
”We are incredibly grateful for this momentous and historic $300 million pledge from our compassionate and purpose-driven friends at Domino’s,” says Richard C. Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “This record-setting commitment is yet another step in the longstanding partnership from Domino’s that supports us in so many ways — all which help advance treatments and research by St. Jude to raise survival rates for children around the world with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. By giving customers the opportunity to donate at checkout, Domino’s enables them to live charitably – to make small acts for good that, collectively, will make a difference for families all across the globe.”
This commitment comes on the heels of the Sept. 27, 2023 opening of The Domino’s Village, a multi-million dollar, six-story, 307,000 square foot housing facility for patients and their families with 140 furnished apartments and communal recreation spaces. The facility was funded by Domino’s as part of a 10-year, $100 million commitment to St. Jude announced in 2020. In addition, Domino’s continues to have a prominent presence on the St. Jude campus with the Assessment and Triage Clinic Delivered by Domino’s and the Domino’s Event Center.