Carnival Cruise Line just shattered its own record for yearly fundraising for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. In 2022, they raised a whopping $3.5 million, topping their previous record of $2.8 million set in 2018.
“These results are proof that Carnival Cruise Line has the most giving guests and the most caring crew in the world who join together in our commitment to St. Jude’s lifesaving mission to find cures for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line and member of the St. Jude Professional Advisory Board, in a press release. “As the cruise line that serves more children and families than any other, we are proud to have a long-standing partnership with St. Jude as we work to reach our goal of raising $33 million for St. Jude by 2025.”
Since the partnership began in 2010, Carnival has now contributed a grand total of $26.2 million to the cause. The fourth quarter of 2022 was especially impressive, with over $1 million raised in just three months. This is a testament to the generosity of Carnival's guests, who on the maiden voyage of the newly-inaugurated ship, Carnival Celebration, showed their support by donating to this amazing cause.
Carnival takes its role as Official Celebration Partner of St. Jude to heart, putting on electrifying events at the hospital and amping up their fundraising efforts both on and off the shores. The Groove for St. Jude dance party gets the guests dancing to a good cause, while the Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea lets kids craft a cuddly St. Jude-themed keepsake. And a cookie amenity package is offered where every purchase raises funds for St. Jude. In 2022, the generosity of Carnival guests was truly impressive. Over 100,000 St. Jude Groove shirts found a new home and 27,000 St. Jude bears were sold by this partnership.
Carnival hit the road with new landside initiatives with its Agentpalooza events in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, and Charlotte, taking its commitment to raising funds for St. Jude to another level. Travel advisors were invited to an opportunity to give back at each of these landside stops and with their generosity, the tour raised a staggering $60,000.
Not only did Carnival boost its fundraising efforts, but it also showcased the inspirational mission of St. Jude by featuring patient-created artwork on its ships — Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Celebration, and Mardi Gras — shining a spotlight on the hope and resilience embodied by the patients of St. Jude.