The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity celebrated the 20th anniversary of its signature service project by presenting a $100,000 check to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The “Push for St. Jude” project of ATO dates back to 1984 when college guys were trying to find something to do because they did not have enough money to go on the conventional spring break trips.

What began in 1985 was the brothers actually pushing a wheelbarrow from city to city and collecting donations. Today the push goes through cities such as Dyersburg, Ripley, Covington and Jackson. The push ends when the members visit St. Jude Hospital in Memphis and present the check.

ATO St. Jude Chairman Matt Sturdivant says getting to spend time with the children at St. Jude is a truly rewarding experience. “It makes you feel good about yourself. You go down to the hospital and see the little kids and they are just so happy,” Sturdivant says.

Sturdivant and ATO President Richard Hines added that this year the children of St. Jude were not the only ones with whom the fraternity spent time.

“We started a program this year called Kids Helping Kids and it involves all of the schools in West Tennessee,” Sturdivant says. In this program, the schools compete to see which one can raise the most money. There are three areas of competition, including primary, middle and high schools. The fraternity gives a $1,000 grant to the winning school in each category.

“The state is just now really mandating character development. One of the things with character development is charity,” Sturdivant says.

Putting together the Push for St. Jude is a yearlong process that begins by contacting all the businesses is West Tennessee and letting newspapers and radio stations in the cities know that the event is going to occur.

Sturdivant readily admits that organization of the project can be a “headache” at times, but that the result is well worth the time expended. He is also confident that next year’s chair will have the ambition to raise the financial goal of the project yet again.

“I know who the future St. Jude chair is going to be and I know that next year’s goal is probably going to be set at $110,000,” Sturdivant says.

Hines says that the ATO Push for St. Jude project raises more money annually than any other individual fraternity project across the country.

During the 2005 Greek Banquet, the Martin ATO chapter also won the fraternity Chancellor’s Cup and Service Award.