Registration is now open for the 2026 St. Jude Walk East
Tennessee, presented by the East Tennessee Walking
Horse Association (ETWHA). The event will take place on
Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 9 a.m. at Northeast
State Community College’s Main Campus in Blountville,
Tennessee, in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness
Month.
The St. Jude Walk brings communities together to raise
funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, helping ensure families never receive a bill for
treatment, travel, housing, or food while their child receives
care.
Founded in 1983, the East Tennessee Walking Horse
Association has spent more than four decades promoting
the Tennessee Walking Horse while making charitable
giving a central part of its mission. Since partnering with
St. Jude in 2011, the association has donated more than
$159,000, including a record $25,000 contribution in 2025,
and is working toward another successful fundraising year.
One of the driving forces behind the partnership is board
member and longtime horse trainer Keith Ailshie, a
childhood cancer survivor who was treated through St.
Jude after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s
Lymphoma at age 14. His inspiring journey highlights the
life-changing impact of St. Jude’s care and research.
“Our continued support of St. Jude reflects our
commitment to helping children and families facing
childhood cancer,” said ETWHA committee member and
web designer Tami Triplett. “Supporting this incredible
mission has been one of our organization’s proudest
accomplishments.”