St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital marked the start of construction Monday on its 2027 Memphis Dream Home in Collierville, Tennessee. The groundbreaking brought the campaign back to the town after a 16-year absence, with dozens of supporters gathering to recognize the beginning of the project.
The home will be built at The Grove at Clara’s Ridge. For Southern Serenity Homes, the construction project represents another milestone: It is the company’s 20th Dream Home build. The gathering brought together supporters as work began on the home that will be featured in the 2027 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway.
Collierville Mayor Maureen Fraser described a personal connection to the hospital’s work during the event. She said her brother died of childhood cancer many years ago, an experience that shaped her family’s support for St. Jude. Fraser said she believed the cancer he had would be curable now.
Fraser also recalled how her parents continued giving money to the hospital despite having limited financial resources. As a child, she said, she did not understand those contributions. Looking back, she now understands why her parents made supporting St. Jude a priority with the money they had available.
The mayor said people in Collierville and the Memphis area can take the hospital’s presence for granted until they need its services. Her family’s experience gave that observation a personal dimension. “But until you need it, you don’t really realize it,” Fraser said as she reflected on the hospital and her family’s history.
Organizers expressed confidence that the campaign would receive strong support locally. Greg Bridgers of Southern Serenity Homes pointed to the Mid-South’s record of supporting St. Jude through ticket purchases. He said participation from Collierville could help the upcoming giveaway sell out quickly when sales begin.
Bridgers framed that possibility as an expectation of what local supporters could accomplish. “When Collierville falls in, like I know Collierville can fall in, we might sell out in a couple of days this time,” he said. His comments reflected the organizers’ optimism about the campaign’s return to Collierville.
Tickets for the 2027 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway are scheduled to go on sale in March, following Monday’s groundbreaking.
