Friends and Family,

As we witness the devastation caused by the California wildfires, our hearts go out to our affected communities. These events remind us of how life can change in an instant. We also see the power of communities coming together to help those who need it most. This includes supporting blood cancer patients, who are facing even greater challenges right now.

I am honored to be nominated as a candidate for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Gold Coast Student Visionaries of the Year campaign—a seven-week leadership development program running from February 6th to March 28th. I am reaching out to ask for your support in advancing LLS’s mission to cure blood cancer and improve the quality of life of all patients and their families.

In response to the unprecedented devastation of the California wildfires, every dollar raised through LLS’s 2025 Student Visionaries of the Year and Visionaries of the Year Campaigns in the Greater Los Angeles and Southern California Regions will stay in the Southern California area to provide continued support for the blood cancer community, including patients, caregivers, and researchers, with a goal to raise more than $5,000,000.

I have assembled a team of committed friends and family to partner with me on this journey. Together, we have set a fundraising goal of $50,000. Our candidate team is particularly passionate about advocacy and will be representing this area of LLS during my campaign.

Money raised helps LLS, the largest nonprofit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers, advance initiatives like enacting policies that address the serious burdens of these diseases. Through their Office of Public Policy and network of over 35,000 volunteers nationwide, LLS advocates in Washington for laws and policies that accelerate the development of new treatments for cancer and break down the barriers to care that patients often encounter, including advancing oral parity laws, ending surprise medical bills, and limiting patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs.

Personally, I have 3 different family members currently fighting blood cancer. My dad’s cousin is a father of two who has been battling CLL for 20 years now. My great uncle has also been struggling with CLL for almost 20 years. My great aunt, is currently in remission from lymphoma. All of them have had many ups and downs, physically as well as emotionally and financially. All have benefitted from the treatments which have been developed from LLS funded research. For them, I hope my campaign will provide support to the critical work of LLS in hopes that one day no one will have to grow up without the ones they love. My campaign will support LLS’s critical work, accelerating research and improving access to treatment to give patients more years of life. With your help, I can reach my goal and directly impact the fight against blood cancers.

I thank you in advance for partnering with a campaign so close to my heart, and please remember, every bit counts. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made online.

Sincerely,

Evander Gibson

Santa Barbara LLS

To make your donation go further—check if your company matches charitable gifts. https://www.lls.org/ways-help/employee-matching-gifts