A Thank You Note

I received a very generous donation the other day and (finally) wrote a thank you note.  Without getting too smooshy about it, I wanted to express my thanks and try to describe what St. Jude means to me.  Sure, I don't have any children and my wife's grandkids are healthy and, hopefully, will never need the services that St. Jude provides.  Still, I feel a strong connection with the hospital and a sense of pride that it's located in my newest hometown.
As I wrote, Memphis has some issues.  It also has some great things to see and do (damn, forgot all about Graceland!).  But, St. Jude is the crown jewel.  If there's one thing all Memphians should be proud of, it's the work that is being done there.  It's the kids that are saved and cured.  It's that no family has to pay to get the treatment that their child needs.
Here's what I wrote:

I received your donation and just put it back in the mail to send to St. Jude.  It may be another week or so before it shows up as deposited on your end.

I can't thank you enough for your generous donation!  St. Jude has really become a cause that means a lot to me.  Despite some issues in the city, there's a lot about Memphis to like.  The zoo is wonderful, Beale Street is a fun place to go if you're a bit younger, there are some really neat neighborhoods to go through and they're doing some stuff along the river to revitalize the area.  But, no matter what else is going on, the hospital is the jewel of the city.  It's a great place (as much as you can say that about a hospital).  I've been over there a few times and I'm always impressed by how it looks and how the people there act.  When you add in the amazing work that they do there and that no child ever pays for treatment, you can't help but take a certain amount of pride that it's located here.  

I'm sure I've talked about this before, but the race runs through the hospital campus.  The kids, parents and staff are all outside, lining the road, holding up signs and cheering the runners on.  They draw pictures and words of encouragement on the roads and they have balloons and decorations and a band playing.  It is the most emotional and inspiring part of the marathon.  As you go through there, you realize that in a few hours, you'll be done and you can rest and refuel, but for many of these kids, they have a long, tough journey ahead of them.

I'm happy that I can do my little part to help and really happy that my friends and family give generously.

Hope all is well!