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Breakaway Bardog 5K

How It Got Started

We want you to understand why the Breakaway Bardog 5K benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and how much your donations mean to the thousands of children treated every year at this lifesaving Memphis facility.

Meet the Washburn Family

Photo: Kevin, Missy, Cooper, Ethan St Jude patient and family for race

Kevin, Missy, and their twin 13 year-old boys, Cooper and Ethan, live in Memphis, TN.

Kevin works across the street from Bardog Tavern and frequently joins us for lunch. In 2009, we learned that his son Ethan (far right) was being treated for ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. ALL, the most common form of childhood cancer, is a type of leukemia that forms in the bone marrow of white blood cells, the soft inner part of bones. This cancer invades the blood and can spread to other organs, such as the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. It is an acute type of leukemia, which means it can progress quickly. Without treatment, it can be fatal within a few months.

We knew we wanted to help Ethan and the Washburn family, so Bardog Tavern decided to dedicate proceeds from the Breakaway Bardog 5K directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Thanks to the heroic efforts of the staff at St. Jude, Ethan received his last chemo on August 17, 2012, and is now cancer-free! His success story is a celebration of life, and a constant reminder of why we choose to support St. Jude.


How Can You Help the Kids at St. Jude?

The Washburns are dedicated and grateful supporters of St. Jude and the amazing research the hospital does and SHARES with the world. The doctors, nurses, researchers and staff, as well as the family support provided by St. Jude, are second to none. The hospital's vast fundraising efforts allow families, like the Washburns, to receive cancer treatment at ZERO cost to them. No family ever pays St. Jude for anything. The Breakaway Bardog 5K is an excellent opportunity for you to help patients like Ethan and his family at St. Jude.

All Proceeds Benefit St. Jude

The Breakaway Bardog 5K and the Alley Party means a great deal to the Washburns. The overwhelming dedication of Aldo and his Bardog Tavern staff and the Breakaway Running team both work tirelessly to raise awareness for St. Jude and the children they treat. Last year, the Breakaway Bardog 5K raised over $20,000 for St. Jude, bringing our entire race and afterparty contributions to more than $200,000 over ten years.



Sponsors

  • St. Jude

  • Big Dog Sponsor

  • Contributing Sponsors

  • Supporting Sponsors

  • Hosted By

  • VIP

  • Participants

  • Spread the Word