Domino’s recently celebrated the opening of the newest housing facility at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Domino’s Village. The building features 140 fully furnished apartments designed to house childhood cancer patients and their families.

Located on its campus in Memphis, Tennessee, the facility is six stories tall with more than 307,000 square feet. The apartments, which range in size from one to three bedrooms, are designed to accommodate patient families of a variety of sizes and different lengths of stay.

“We could not be any more excited to celebrate St. Jude’s newest housing facility for patient families,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s CEO. “This has been in the works for more than three years now, as Domino’s first announced its commitment to raise $100 million to help open this housing facility back in 2020. Thanks to our stores’ fundraising efforts and the generous donations of Domino’s customers, The Domino’s Village has come to life, providing a place of comfort and rest to families who have children who are undergoing treatment for cancer and other catastrophic diseases. We’re grateful to be able to have played one small part in providing a home away from home for these families at a time when they need it the most.”

The Domino’s Village is one of four housing facilities available to St. Jude’s patients and the first to accommodate both short and long-term stays. St. Jude provides free housing for any family who has to travel 35 miles or more to campus and the new site will welcome its first St. Jude patients and families in October 2023.

The project has been in development for more than three years since Domino’s first announced its commitment to raise $100 million to open the facility in 2020.

In addition to the apartments themselves, The Domino’s Village also includes common areas. There is an Arts and Crafts room where the children can congregate while engaging in creative and inspiring activities such as painting and drawing. The Community Kitchen area is accessible to guests so that families can prepare meals and eat with other families staying in the facility.

The facility is the first St. Jude patient housing facility to have a dining facility operated by St. Jude Food Services. The Dining Room also features a drop-down movie screen for movie nights with the patients and families. The Outdoor Activity Space also features an LED movie screen, as well as play equipment, patio tables, outdoor grills, and a walking path.

For additional activities, there is also a Rec Room and a Toddler Room for younger children, which is beach-themed and includes a walk-in lighthouse and colorful mural including sailboats and sea creatures.

Patients staying at The Domino’s Village will also have easy access to treatment facilities. There is a Medical Clinic, which features three exam rooms where patients can get medicine or pre-clinical work before hospital procedures. There is also a Sky Bridge, an elevated walkway that gives patients staying at The Domino’s Village housing easy access to other buildings on St. Jude’s campus.

“Thanks to this historic act of generosity by Domino’s, which was the largest corporate commitment we had ever received, The Domino’s Village will be a home away from home for St. Jude families who come for treatment from all 50 states and around the world,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC – the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “Today, we celebrate our most ambitious and comprehensive addition to St. Jude patient family housing, a step made possible by our dedicated partner and friends at Domino’s.”

To find out more about Domino’s, check out the full episode below.