NORFOLK, Va. - There is a human engine that drives the annual St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway.
A host of volunteers are devoted to do their part in the fight to eliminate childhood cancer, but there is a very special volunteer leading the pack who has gained the title of a News 3 Everyday Hero.
Jody Hibbs has volunteered for the past 15 years. During a critical time in the fundraising when raffle tickets are coming into the volunteer office at a rapid pace, you will find her in the thick of it.
It's long hours without pay. You may wonder why she happily gives her time? She will tell you the game changer was when she and her husband visited the campus of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Seeing the children and medical staff up close solidified what she already believed - that the volunteer work makes a real difference to the children battling cancer.
"It's a cause that is near and dear to our hearts," said Hibbs, speaking for herself and her husband.
She has manned phone banks, open and closed the volunteer offices and checks and double checks the thousands of raffle tickets, purchased for the St. Jude Dream Home.
The tickets have to be recorded and verified. Her work has not gone unnoticed.
"We are grateful to have her," says Renee Fairchild, the Senior Philanthropic Advisor for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.
For that reason and so many more, our partners at Southern Bank gifted Jody with a Visa gift card for $300, and she was also delighted to receive the News 3 Everyday Hero award.
A fitting tribute as it is National Volunteer Week.
Congrats, Jody Hibbs!
Click here if you are interested in buying a ticket for a chance to win the 2022 St. Jude Dream Home.
To nominate someone for an Everyday Hero Award, click here.
