EXCLUSIVEPatrick Warburton Praises St. Jude After Raising Record-Breaking $4.7 Million For Children's Hospital With Charity Golf Tournament
Family Guy star Patrick Warburton helped raise an incredible $4.7 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at the 13th Annual Patrick Warburton Celebrity Golf Tournament that occurred this past February.
First founded in 2011, through the years of hosting the prestigious event, the Seinfeld actor — alongside tournament chairman and friend Clarke Rheney, celebrity guests, team members and many more — has been able to donate more than $26 million to the world-renowned medical center determined to cure childhood cancers.
Warburton exclusively spoke with OK!, humbly calling the record-breaking donation "the combined efforts of an amazing team," pointing to Rheney as their "captain" that helped make their dream a reality.
He also commends "the musicians and the athletes and the celebrities" who were all "inspired by St. Jude," noting that he doesn't see how "it can't be the most inspiration hospital in the world" due to being the "pioneers of cures and therapies" for so many catastrophic pediatric diseases.
Pointing out that St. Jude is also non-proprietary, meaning they share their work with the world, he says they are currently in the process of "getting chemotherapy to Africa." According to the actor, the medical facility also recently helped 1,200 children in Ukraine get their cancer treatments following Russia's attack on the country.
"That's what St. Jude does," Warburton adds.
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"I still remember, you know, what a death sentence it [cancer] was years and years ago and it's interesting having a little different of a perspective on that now," the father-of-four explains, stating that the survival rates were so low in decades past that receiving the diagnosis meant "you were more than likely going to lose your child."
However, in present day, the cures for catastrophic childhood diseases are now around 80 percent — partially due to St. Jude's efforts.
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"Whether you need the hospital or not, it's had an impact on you," Warburton — who has frequently visited the facility and patients with wife Cathy — continues. "[Everyday] We see great examples of humanity and generosity and love and sacrifice, we also see the other side of humanity — the ugly side of humanity every day, which is less than inspiring. With St. Jude, we see what could be done from one man's inspiration, idea and passion."
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