Marlo Thomas

That Girl Friday celebrates people who inspire and encourage us to work together for a world of good. The title comes from one of my favorite shows, "That Girl," with Marlo Thomas. So, Girl Friday's first That Girl feature had to be the original!

My mom loved the show "That Girl" when she was young and I watched the entire series several years ago. I fell in love with the hilarious adventures of "Ann Marie," an aspiring actor in NYC. Marlo Thomas' character encouraged my mom to dream big and not be confined by any societal expectations of girls and women; she passed that onto me.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

In real life, Marlo Thomas is a role model, too. In addition to being an award-winning actor and producer, she's an activist and philanthropist. Her father, Danny Thomas, founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and she serves as the National Outreach Director. Marlo and her siblings, Terre and Tony Thomas, created the St. Jude Thanks and Giving® campaign, which is now a holiday staple. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Marlo's lifelong dedication to helping children has not gone unnoticed. In 2014, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. That same year, to recognize her commitment, @StJude named its newest building The Marlo Thomas Center for Global Education and Collaboration. Hillary Clinton presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new building.

Marlo Thomas *really* is That Girl!