OXFORD,
Miss. – When TV meteorologist Jim Jaggers bicycles through Oxford
Monday (Sept. 29) as part of a fundraising quest for LeBonheur
Children’s Medical Center, Mari Correro and her 12-year-old triplet
boys will be cheering him on with homemade signs and a firsthand
appreciation of the Memphis-based facility.
Jaggers, who works
for WREG-3 in Memphis, plans to ride into Oxford in conjunction with
the third annual Go Jim Go!, a 333-mile cycling trek. To date, the
event has generated about $77,000 for the children’s hospital, which is
building a $327 million facility that will double the space for patient
care, research and teaching.
Correro, of Batesville, said her sons Ian, Cole and Chase have required more than 40 surgeries at LeBonheur, and for eight years they visited LeBonheur on a regular basis for cerebral palsy-related speech occupational therapy and rehabilitative services.
“We’ve just kind of grown up with LeBonheur,” Correro said. “It’s 75 miles one way from my driveway to their emergency room, but it was worth the trips because they knew what my children needed. Everything that everybody has done, from the security guards on up to the doctors, they have met every need and have gone above and beyond.”
After the Go Jim Go! kickoff in Memphis Friday, Jaggers plans to cycle between 60 and 70 miles each day across six cities in the Mid-South in the seven-day event, ending in Memphis with a telethon at LeBonheur. On Monday, he plans to broadcast live outside Kroger in Oxford before cycling around the Lafayette County area, passing through the University of Mississippi campus at approximately 9 a.m., and ending back at Kroger for another live broadcast.
Jaggers will stop along the way for any individual or group that donates, regardless of the amount of the gift. Students and residents can also cheer for him as he rides through the city and campus.
“I was practicing last week on the road doing some miles, and somebody stopped me and gave me $5,” Jaggers said. “That will happen a lot during the ride itself, whether it’s $5 or $100.”
To make a donation or to cheer for Jaggers, fans can join him Monday in front of Kroger from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. or from 4 to 6 p.m.
“We will definitely be there in the morning, with signs and posters to cheer (Jaggers) along,” Correro said. “If he can do that for us, we can definitely get out there and support him.”
Bicyclers who are 18 or older and can maintain an average pace of 18 miles per hour can cycle with Jaggers, while others can participate as virtual riders. All riders are encouraged to collect pledges, and the rider who collects the most donations for LeBonheur will receive a personalized bicycle from Bikes Plus in Memphis.
“I hope this raises awareness for the amazing place LeBonheur really is,” Jaggers said. “The dedication of the staff, from the doctors to the people mopping the floors, the kids and the patients, is so incredibly positive, and I’d really like to have that face of LeBonheur in front of people so they know what a great hospital we have. For everyday conditions, LeBonheur is the place to go in the Mid-South, but I think it seems to get overshadowed by other causes and charities.”
The idea for Go Jim Go! was inspired by a CBS affiliate in Pennsylvania that sponsors a similar event.
“We took the idea to Le Bonheur and they loved it,” he said.
Jaggers said when he volunteered for the event in 2006, he was riding his bike for only a few miles each day. He now trains year-round, cycling as many as 40 miles daily during the two weeks before the event. In 2007, Jaggers completed the entire course with a broken wrist.
The first year, Go Jim Go! raised $17,000 for LeBonheur. The event generated $60,000 in 2007.
“We are so proud to partner with Jim Jaggers and News Channel 3 to raise support and awareness for LeBonheur Children’s,” said Meri Armour, president and CEO of Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center. “Go Jim Go is a phenomenal program and Jim is a true champion for children. We wish Jim good weather and safe travels as he embarks on his third ride to help the kids at Le Bonheur.”
Founded in 1952, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center is the Mid-South’s first and only comprehensive pediatric medical facility. Every year LeBonheur treats 130,000 children from 47 states and many foreigncountries. LeBonheur is home to one of the nation’s 10 busiest pediatric emergency departments and hosts one of the largest pediatric surgical brain tumor programs.
For more information about Go Jim Go!, including maps, schedules and pledge information, or to make a donation, visit http://www.lebonheur.org/gojimgo .