PEDRO — Earlier this month the Elkins Creek Horse Club hosted a benefit in Pedro for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital for the third straight year.

The goal of the event was to break the total of money raised the previous two years.

“When we started the event in 2012 we were excited to be able to raise $7,000,” Elkins Creek Horse Club member, Charlie Whitt said. “Last year we raised almost $10,000. This year we broke our record.”

The benefit pulled in more than $15,000, which Whitt said was enough to provide a child with free CT Scans and three rounds of chemotherapy.

“This year’s event was a complete success,” he said. “We had over 140 participants and several returning services offered donations to St. Jude.”

The two-day event included horse and dog shows as well as food catered by Moe’s Southwest Grill in Ashland, Ky. An auction at the event was also used to raise funds for the children’s hospital.

“Terry Barren of Barren Auctions donated his time to run the auction for the goodies,” Whitt said. “The daily operating cost for St. Jude is $1.9 million per day, which is primarily covered by individual contributions like the ones made here.”

The survival rate for lymphoblastic leukemia, one of the primary diseases St. Jude treats, has increased from 4 percent to 94 percent since the facility opened in Memphis, Tenn., in 1962.