Dear Friends and family,                                   

I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to help others.

Each year, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) launches its Student of the Year fundraising campaign, and I was honored to join this year’s efforts as a candidate. I am writing today to ask for your support of LLS’s mission in its efforts to find cures for blood cancers and to assist patients and families as they battle this disease.

From March 23 – May 13, 2022, our team goal is to raise $50,000 which will go directly to LLS in support of its longstanding goal: a world without blood cancers.  If we raise over $50,000 we can link our team name to an LLS-funded research portfolio to honor our efforts to help people with blood cancers.

Last year, my grandma passed away from stage 4 breast cancer after a long battle, she kept her spirit high every step of the way and taught me what perseverance meant. This made me want to help people that deal with these tribulations on a daily basis. I'm able to help kids receive treatment and raise money to help them fight, so they can have the life that they deserve. 

There are many reasons to be proud to support LLS’s efforts. For instance, LLS helped advance 55 of the 65 blood cancer treatment options approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2017 to date. And many of these LLS-supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are now approved to treat patients with other types of cancer like breast, liver, colon cancer, and noncancerous diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.  

This is an organization that is making an impact with the dollars it raises, and I’m proud to be associated with LLS.

This is where you come in. You can make a donation in any amount and mail a check payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to 2608 TIVERTON DR. Bakersfield CA 93311 Please note, Joanna Garas in the memo section of the check. You can also make an online donation by visiting my personal fundraising page.

I thank you in advance for supporting this incredible need. I’ll keep you posted on how the campaign goes. For now, I am grateful for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,

Joanna Garas

p.s. Does your company have a matching gifts program that might be willing to match your donation?