70s Rock & Romance Cruise Raises $233,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®
70s Rock & Romance Cruise Raises $233,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®
Four Autographed Guitars Break Fundraising Record
StarVista LIVE raised a record $233,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® on board the sold-out 70s Rock & Romance Cruise. Pictured with her two guitars autographed by artists performing on the cruise is auction winner Maryann Homan Witte (2nd from left) with (l. to r.) Steven Kelly; St. Jude Director of Partner Support, Music and Audio Team Scott Hinshelwood; Cruise Host Jason Venner.
Photo: Callie Wright/StarVista LIVE
Members of Night Ranger were so impressed with StarVista LIVE's fundraising efforts for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®, they donated two autographed guitars to be auctioned on the sold-out 70s Rock & Romance Cruise. Pictured on stage are: (l. to r.) - Night Ranger's Eric Levy, Keri Kelli, Kelly Keagy, Jack Blades; StarVista LIVE COO Alan Rubens; St. Jude Director of Partner Support, Music and Audio Team Scott Hinshelwood; Night Ranger's Brad Gillis.
Photo: Trish Koo Photography/StarVista LIVE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 2, 2025) – StarVista LIVE, the premiere company producing nine music-themed cruises, last fall announced a new fundraising effort for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. The first initiative was a guitar auction on the recent sold-out 70s Rock & Romance Cruise. Two acoustic guitars were autographed by the artists performing on the seven-day voyage. The members of Night Ranger were so moved after learning of the relationship with St. Jude, they donated two custom electric guitars autographed by members of the band. A total of $233,000 was raised through live auctions on the ship, which was a record for fundraising on any StarVista LIVE cruise.
“We know how generous the Cruisers are on all of our ships, but this completely blew everyone away,” said Mike Jason, President of StarVista LIVE. “It takes an astronomical amount of money to fund St. Jude’s groundbreaking research, patient care, and family needs, and we know this money will go a long way to help them continue to lead the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”
In addition to the guitar auctions, StarVista LIVE shared messaging about St. Jude with music fans onboard the 70s Rock & Romance Cruise via announcements from stage, a channel dedicated to St. Jude on in-cabin televisions, and more. The company has also committed to donate a cabin on its 70s Rock & Romance Cruise to St. Jude for use in fundraising efforts.
Each of StarVista LIVE’s nine cruises include up to 100 performances by superstars covering a variety of music genres and decades. Cruisers relive beloved moments and create new memories as they socialize with their favorite artists at Q&A sessions, jam sessions and have unprecedented opportunities to meet and mingle with the stars. The non-stop entertainment includes exciting ports of call, great food and amenities all aboard a luxury cruise ship.
Virtually every StarVista LIVE cruise is sold out for 2025, but anyone interested in joining the waitlist can get more information on the website of each respective cruise.
About StarVista LIVE:
StarVista LIVE creates unique entertainment experiences that bring fans together to relive their favorite moments, create new memories, and enjoy unparalleled access to the superstars they love. StarVista LIVE cruise events include the Malt Shop Memories Cruise, the Soul Train Cruise, the Country Music Cruise,the Flower Power Cruise, the ‘70s Rock and Romance Cruise, the Sandy Beaches Cruise, the Ultimate Disco Cruise, the Big Easy Cruise, and Abbey Road on the River festival.
Additional information about StarVista LIVE can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/StarVista-LIVE
https://www.linkedin.com/company/starvista-live
About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.
