MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(R) and Stanford Financial Group kicked off the 2008 Eagles for St. Jude campaign Friday with the sinking of the first eagle of the 2008 PGA TOUR season. As part of the Eagles for St. Jude campaign, the scoring of the eagle by Mike Weir triggers the first of many $1,000 donations from Stanford to St. Jude, the premier pediatric cancer research center. Stanford will continue to donate $1,000 per eagle for the duration of the season. The program is also supported by the Golf Channel, which provides season-long updates and promotional support for Eagles for St. Jude. The public is invited to participate in the program by making a donation to St. Jude to help the hospital find cures and save children.

Public donations to Eagles for St. Jude can be made at www.eaglesforstjude.com. The public is offered three donation options:

-- Make a donation to St. Jude for every eagle made by Vijay Singh, who serves as the Eagles for St. Jude Ambassador.

-- Make a donation to St. Jude for every eagle made on the TOUR, regardless of the player.

-- Make a one-time donation to St. Jude.

Also available on www.eaglesforstjude.com is a scorecard that provides program participants and fans alike the opportunity to view the cumulative number of eagles carded for Singh and other PGA TOUR professionals. In addition, visitors can view the Eagles for St. Jude commercial featuring Singh and St. Jude patients and read about patients that are featured in the commercial.

For the 2008 season, Singh has pledged to donate $5,000 for every eagle he makes on the TOUR. This is a major increase from the $1,000 per eagle pledge Vijay made for the 2007 season, during which he made 12 eagles. Although Vijay was slated to donate $12,000 per his commitment, Vijay donated $50,000 in 2007, a $38,000 donation above his commitment.

"Making eagles on the TOUR takes on a whole new meaning with the Eagles for St. Jude program because I know my accomplishments help St. Jude achieve its mission to find cures for these special children," said Singh. "It touches my heart to see these brave kids - they have so much courage to fight. It makes me feel proud every time I make an eagle and it gives me added drive and passion to play my best golf."

Sir Allen Stanford, Chairman and CEO of Stanford Financial Group, said, "St. Jude is vital in the battle against catastrophic childhood diseases and we want the world to know it. It is our hope that the Eagles for St. Jude program will increase awareness for this special place and encourage golf fans and those who support St. Jude to donate to this worthy cause."

"Eagles for St. Jude is a wonderfully unique program that shows Stanford's amazing commitment to the kids of St. Jude. It will be thrilling to watch the eagles accumulating throughout the PGA TOUR, knowing that each one will help support St. Jude's ground-breaking research and life-saving care," said John P. Moses, CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude, the fundraising organization of St. Jude.

In 2007, Stanford Financial Group assumed the title sponsorship of what was previously known as the FedEx St. Jude Classic and is now named the Stanford St. Jude Championship, a premier PGA TOUR event that has benefited St. Jude since 1970. The Eagles for St. Jude program was created in Stanford's inaugural sponsorship year out of the desire to provide a season-long fundraising component to the Memphis tournament. During the 2007 PGA TOUR, 1,222 eagles were made, which resulted in Stanford donating $1,222,000 to St. Jude for the Eagles program.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

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 the late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., 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.

Stanford Financial Group

Stanford Financial Group is a privately held, wholly owned global network of financial services companies led by Chairman and CEO Sir Allen Stanford and founded by his grandfather, Lodis B. Stanford in 1932. Stanford's core businesses are private wealth management and investment banking for institutions and emerging growth companies. Stanford provides private and institutional investors with global expertise in asset allocation strategies, investment advisory services, equity research, policy research, international private banking and trust administration, commercial banking, investment banking, merchant banking, institutional sales and trading, real estate investment and insurance. Securities products and services in the United States are offered through Stanford Group Company, member FINRA/SIPC. More information on the company can be found at www.stanfordfinancial.com.

Stanford St. Jude Championship

Stanford St. Jude Championship

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