MEMPHIS, Tenn. — St. Jude may be receiving $200 million much sooner than expected.
Saturday night, billionaire and SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted that he will donate $50 million towards Inspiration4’s $200 million dollar fundraising goal for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission, already raised more than $60 million and received $100 million from mission commander Jared Isaacman. Inspiration4 says donations will be used to support the development of “breakthrough research, treatment and cures.”
“We’ve set an ambitious fundraising goal to give hope to all kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases,” the group says on its website. “Your contribution will advance the lifesaving work of St. Jude, and help us make a brighter future for children everywhere.”
Inspiration4 blasted into orbit on a SpaceX rocket Wednesday night. The group returned with a successful splashdown Saturday evening.
Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization for St. Jude, released a statement on the mission Saturday.
“All of us at St. Jude are incredibly grateful to Inspiration4 Commander Jared Isaacman for his support of our lifesaving mission,” Shadyac said in part. “He is an amazing individual and humanitarian who aligned his passion for space with a philanthropic purpose for the mission: Finding cures and saving children from life-threatening diseases.”
Included in the group was 29-year-old St. Jude physician assistant, Hayley Arceneaux, who also underwent treatment for bone cancer at St. Jude.
“Hayley’s actions show them to dream big, that the sky is not the limit, and to believe in a world of infinite possibilities,” Shadyac said.
