St. Jude program taps the fund-raising power of Hispanic radio stations across the U.S.

[Doondoo]

When thousands of people protested last year in favor of looser immigration laws, it was a striking demonstration of the mobilizing power of Spanish-language radio stations, whose announcers told listeners to show up and wear white.

Now, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is harnessing that power to raise millions of dollars to combat childhood cancer and other diseases. The hospital's Spanish-language radio fund-raising program, called Promesa y Esperanza, or Promise and Hope, has grown sharply since its launch 10 years ago, reflecting Hispanics' economic power and the increasing number of Spanish-language media outlets around the country. The growth also reflects St. Jude's diverse patient population and its outreach efforts throughout Latin America; many of the stations air the stories of Hispanic patients to draw donors.


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Isabel Gomez Bassols, who hosts a syndicated talk show on family issues, also said she's passionate about fund-raising for St. Jude. She recalled passing the $1 million mark during a fund-raiser on New York's WADO in 2005.

"That year I remember I was almost without a voice and I just kept going," she said.

She said Hispanic people's support for St. Jude is a sign that they are becoming assimilated into American society. "I think my people, the Hispanic people, are giving people," she said.

Daniel Alvarez, a talk-show host on WQBA in Miami, said he's impressed with St. Jude's willingness to share its discoveries with doctors in poor countries.

"That kind of spirt of humanity and solidarity with the rest of us, with those who have least, or have nothing, I think endears them to us," he said.



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