5 for Good: Lowell charity named St. Jude volunteer group of the year

HOSTING A FUNDRAISING EVENT LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IN TONIGHT’S FIVE FOR GOOD, THE LOCAL FAMILY THAT’S BEEN TEACHING KIDS ABOUT FITNESS AND PHILANTHROPY FOR 25 YEARS. THE KITCHEN AT DRAGONFLY CAFE IN LOWELL IS GETTING READY FOR A RUSH. THANK YOU. SHERRY SARROUF OWNS THE CAFE WITH HER SON, STEVEN. CAN I HAVE A PHONE NUMBER FOR THE ORDER AND RUNS A GYM DOWN THE ROAD. AND I’M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT MOVEMENT AND HEALTHY FOOD AND HOLISTIC CARE. OKAY, TWO BABIES, MOST OF ALL, THOUGH, SHERRY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING OTHERS AND IT’S NO SECRET THE CAUSE. THE SARROUF FAMILY IS DEVOTED TO SAINT JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL. THE FAMILY OF SHERRY’S HUSBAND, CAMILLE, BROUGHT SAINT JUDE INTO HER LIFE. HIS FAMILY WE WERE JUST DATING BROUGHT ME TO A SAINT JUDE EVENT. A MOM GOT UP AND SHE HAD A LITTLE BABY WITH HER, AND THE WOMAN SPOKE AND THANKED EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE FOR SAVING HER BABY’S LIFE. AND I NEVER FORGOT THAT STORY. IT WOULD INSPIRE HER TO START A ONE OF A KIND FUNDRAISING EFFORT TO BENEFIT THE HOSPITAL SHORTLY AFTER A DIFFICULT PREGNANCY, BUT HEALTHY BIRTH OF HER DAUGHTER, ELIZABETH, SHERRY GOT TO THINKING MAYBE I COULD DO AN EVENT. IT WOULD BE A FITNESS EVENT. FUN AND EXCITING, WITH A LOT OF ENERGY AND MAYBE WE’D TALK ABOUT SAINT JUDE. SHE RECRUITED A HANDFUL OF KIDS, STEPHEN AND ELIZABETH’S FRIENDS. SHERRY TAUGHT THEM A ROUTINE AND FITNESS FOR A CURE WAS BORN. SO THAT FIRST EVENT, $5,000? YES. GRAND TOTAL. GRAND TOTAL TO DATE IS OVER 8 MILLION. AN OUTSTANDING LIFE CHANGING AMOUNT. CAROLINE, WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A BRAIN TUMOR IN 2007, AND HER MOTHER SARAH, CAN ATTEST TO THAT. FOR THEM TO DO THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR IN THE 25TH YEAR, UM, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, SO MANY STRANGERS. UM, IT’S JUST SO HUMBLING AND MEANINGFUL AND IMPACTFUL. THERE WAS NO EFFECTIVE TREATMENT IN BOSTON FOR CAROLINE LYNN, BUT THERE WAS A TRIAL AT SAINT JUDE FOR A DECADE. CAROLINE TOOK PART. CAROLINE’S TRIAL THAT YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH SAVED HER LIFE. IT’S MORE THAN A HOSPITAL. IT’S IT’S A COMMUNITY. IT’S A FAMILY. IT’S A FEELING. IT’S SAINT JUDE IS HOPE. I’M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS. THIS TREATMENT THAT I WAS ON THANKS TO SAINT JUDE TREATMENT THAT WAS FREE. NO FAMILY IS EVER BILLED AT SAINT JUDE. DONATE, FUND, RESEARCH AND CARE. DONATE FUNDS RAISED BY GROUPS LIKE FITNESS FOR A CURE, THE WORK THEY PUT INTO IT AND THE HOURS THEY PUT INTO IT. IT’S AMAZING TO SEE, TO SEE ALL THEIR EFFORTS. I FEEL LIKE IT REALLY JUST SHOWS WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER RIGHT FROM THE JUMP. BOTH ELIZABETH AND STEPHEN, CO-CHAIR FITNESS FOR A CURE. THEY HAVEN’T MISSED A BEAT SINCE CHILDHOOD. TODAY, MORE THAN 100 KIDS TAKE PART IN WEEKLY PRACTICES AND FUNDRAISE AHEAD OF THE BIG SHOW. IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE I DON’T REMEMBER A TIME WITHOUT IT. IT’S ON SUNDAY MORNINGS AND WAS LIKE, OKAY, IT’S SAINT JUDE PRACTICE DAY AND THAT’S WHAT I DID MY WHOLE LIFE. AND THE DAY OF THE SHOW WOULD COME AND IT’D BE MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR. STILL IS. MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR. HONESTLY CAN TELL YOU I WOULDN’T BE THE PERSON I AM TODAY WITHOUT IT. GROWING UP WITH SAINT JUDE, YOU GET THIS DEEP SENSE OF EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE. FITNESS FOR A CURE WAS RECENTLY NAMED SAINT JUDE’S NATIONAL VOLUNTEER GROUP OF THE YEAR, A HUGE HONOR AND SO DESERVING. AND HERE WE ARE. YOU KNOW US, OUR LITTLE COMMUNITY HERE IN LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS. WINNING THIS AWARD WAS WAS VERY EXCITING, REALLY EXCITING. I USUALLY IT GOES TO PEOPLE LIKE CVS, LIKE HUGE RIGHT? 8 MILLION THOUGH THAT THEY SHOULD BE SO PROUD OF, THAT THEY SHOULD BE AND THEY ARE. SO THIS YEAR’S BIG FITNESS FOR A CURE EVENT IS ACTUALLY THIS SATURDAY. IT’S AT LOWELL MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM. NOT TOO LATE TO GET TICKETS TO SUPPORT THEM. FIND OUT MORE ON WCVB DOT COM AND PATRONIZE THAT DRAGONFLY