Stor-Mor Portable Buildings continued to raise funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at the Shed Builder Expo, and you can help.
Imagine being a 16-year-old kid who just got their driver’s license. Experiencing freedom, pride, wonder, and that first taste of independence, responsibility, and thrill that comes with that leap into adulthood.
Those feelings of freedom and thrill collided quickly with reality for me as I took a break from the heat in the passenger seat of my brother’s truck at our dad’s construction site one afternoon. I was devouring my cheeseburger when I noticed a lump under my chin. I examined it through the rearview mirror. I joked that I was getting a double chin, but this was different—it was hard.
“Dude, you need to get that checked out. It could be cancer,” my brother said.
He was right. At 16 years old, at the local hospital after a surgery to remove the lump, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and life reminded me how quickly it can change.
As I walked around the Shed Builders Expo this year, meeting with so many great folks, I saw many young families with kids. I couldn’t help but think how blessed we are in those moments. Many of us have healthy children and never have the burden of praying for their cancer to be cured.
It’s a stark contrast to walking the halls at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Those families have the weight of the world on their shoulders, trying to be present for their sick kid, maintain a steady income, and care for themselves.
My time at St. Jude gave me great perspective that has stuck with me all these years. Because of that, I have always felt a pull to give back to St. Jude. After spending two and a half years at the hospital undergoing 120 chemotherapy treatments, I got to know the doctors, nurses, and other patients just like me. These people were key to my fight against cancer.
Another big piece? The hospital’s mission to ensure no family receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
Since my time there, I have gone back to visit and fundraise with Country Cares for St. Jude Kids. In 2012, I wrote “Miracles in Memphis” and performed it that night on stage. This year, I went down to Nashville, Tennessee, to officially record “Miracles in Memphis” and prep for its release. My heart has always been drawn to the kids of St. Jude.
When we opened Stor-Mor Portable Buildings in 2017, I aspired to be a corporate sponsor. In 2021, we made our first go at it and raised $21,680. We have increased our goal each year and hit $250,000 last year. We are on track to exceed that goal already this year.
By donating $10 for every new building delivered, our customers can join in on the fundraising as well. The Shed Builders Expo is always a great time for us to meet so many people in the shed industry, tell them my story, and ask them to open their hearts to St. Jude. The Expo is our biggest fundraiser of the year.
Thank you all for your giving hearts and willingness to donate to a cause that is so close to me each and every year. Thanks to our partners, customers, and friends like you all, we will meet our goal this year. And like I’ve said before, we won’t stop until we raise $1 million for St. Jude. You know what? We probably won’t stop there.
To donate to St. Jude, visit
stjude.org/stormor.
