While undergoing chemotherapy treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after being diagnosed with leukemia at age 16, Adam Cruthirds began to think about fundraising ideas for the hospital. As a result, he founded Adam’s Army, which has raised more than $700,000 to help end childhood cancer. Cruthirds, a rising senior at Rhodes, was recently honored by Leadership Memphis as a Change Maker.
Forty notable people who have changed Memphis for the better were recognized at a Leadership Memphis 40th Anniversary event held May 21 at Hilton Memphis. Others recognized as Change Makers at the event include Darrell Cobbins, a member of the Rhodes Board of Trustees and Class of 1997; Spence Wilson, former chair of the Rhodes Board of Trustees; and Henry Turley, benefactor of the Lynne and Henry Turley Memphis Center at Rhodes.
Leadership Memphis is a nonprofit organization that develops new ways to connect and create more effective community leaders. For the Change Maker recognition, it sought nominations from the public of individuals who either drive change by gathering knowledge, galvanizing resources, and using their considerable influence to facilitate change, or who inspire change that impacts a broad base of people either socially, educationally, economically, spiritually, or politically.