The world’s top 70 golfers are ready to descend upon the greens in Memphis for the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship. Top golfers such as Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Spieth are leading the charge. But is this race only about the $20 million and moving on to the BMW Championship? No, it’s so much more than that. This year’s event is a symbol of hope and resilience that will fly high above the TPC Southwind. But what’s this powerful gesture? 

There is this incredible partnership between FedEx and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that has been delivering hope and support to families worldwide for 11 years. 2024 marked the 12th year of this larger-than-life Purple Eagle program. Now, what happens in this program? Every year, in this program, a Cessna Caravan aircraft is named for a St. Jude patient who is also the child or grandchild of a FedEx team member. This plane, when it soars through the sky, carries a message of hope, courage, and resilience.

This year’s tribute goes to a beautiful 7-year-old Micah, who’s courageously fighting leukemia. Micah has been nothing but brave in his fight with the disease and is eagerly looking forward to the tribute he will be getting this year at the tournament. His family must be proud of his journey too, and they will also be honored by the plane dedication. The young lad is the grandson of FedEx manager Craig, from the line of support services. Micah’s name will be written under the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital logo until the Cessna Caravan’s time in service as part of the FedEx Express supplemental aircraft fleet. 

Let us take a closer look at this beautiful partnership between FedEx and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

FedEx and St. Jude have been in over a decade-long partnership of hope

The FedEx and St. Jude decade-long partnership of hope began in 2012 when Bill West Jr., vice president of supplemental aircraft operations, wanted to honor St. Jude Hospital’s amazing work. He got a brilliant idea to name a FedEx plane after a St. Jude patient who was connected to an employee. Since then, the program has continued to honor the bravery and strong-headedness of the young patients. “These planes are special and help us spread the word about the amazing work being done by St. Jude,” Bill said. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. 

Furthermore, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way in understanding childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its mission-driven work focuses on treating these conditions and finding cures, all with a clear purpose: to save children. 

With the FedEx St. Jude ‘Purple Eagle’ program, that hope is soaring higher than ever. This symbolic gesture shines a light on the incredible work being done at St. Jude, where children receive life-saving treatment and care. What do you think of the program? Is it making a real difference? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.