March 11, 2008

Courtesy of 49ers.com

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital paid tribute Monday to San Francisco 49ers Chief Operating Officer Andy Dolich for his contributions and support of the hospital during his stint in Memphis. One notable area of support that was recognized was his leadership in helping provide the patients of St. Jude with Memphis Grizzlies House, a short-term housing facility on the St. Jude campus.

St. Jude patients and staff were on hand to express gratitude and honor Dolich for his accomplishments.

"It didn't take long for Andy to recognize the need for our families to have a safe and clean housing environment," said John P. Moses, CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude. "It's not hard to see from his actions that Andy is truly a man of integrity and commitment. I'm glad to call him a friend to St. Jude and a personal friend of mine."

Memphis Grizzlies House, named for the city's NBA team, provides a comfortable living environment for families with children undergoing treatment at St. Jude for one to seven days. It is the first housing facility located on the St. Jude campus.

"I am thankful from the bottom of my heart for this honor, but it was a simple decision to support St. Jude after seeing the courage displayed by these families," Dolich said. "The battles that athletes deal with on the court or the field can't compare to what these families face on a daily basis. Hopefully, we'll get to the point where we can turn over the deed to this place because we would have found a cure for cancer and the other diseases that rob children of a normal childhood."

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit www.stjude.org.