Photo Gallery | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital celebrates founder Danny Thomas

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is celebrating the life of their founder, Danny Thomas, on what would had been his 101th birthday Sunday.

Throughout his successes in his personal life and as an entertainer, Danny never forgot his promise to St. Jude.

Danny told his close friend and mentor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Chicago, Samuel Cardinal Stritch, about his pledge to build a shrine to the saint.

During their conversation, an idea began to take shape, according to the St. Jude Website.

The shrine would be a hospital for needy children, a place where they would be cared for regardless of race, religion or ability to pay - a hospital where no suffering child would be turned away.

Danny gave himself wholeheartedly in the effort to make the dream work.

He contributed his talents, time and money.

From Danny's pledge that hospital care would be accessible to all children, regardless of their ability to pay, grew ALSAC®, one of the most successful fund-raising organizations in American history.

You can read more about the Danny Thomas' legacy on the St. Jude website here.

You can donate to St. Jude here.