I am very excited to announce that I have been nominated as a candidate for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Students of the Year campaign. January 27^th is the official kick off for my 7-week journey to help find a cure for cancer ending with the Grand finale on March 18, 2022.

Team W.A.C. (Winning Against Cancer), my fundraising team, and I have great hope for this cause. Together, with your help and support, we are looking forward to raising funds for this great organization.

I picked “W.A.C.” as our motto to send a message to all people affected by cancer, to give them hope in our near future of kicking cancer and finding a cure. It is our goal to raise as much money as possible between now and March 18, 2022.

I am running my campaign because as long as I can remember, illness and cancer have been in my life for a large part of my life. At 11 years old, pancreatic cancer took my grandfather away from me. I only had a month or so with him after he was diagnosed, yet it only felt like days. At most, people usually have a few months to years before cancer takes their loved ones away. A part of me has still not recovered from his passing, and I don’t want anyone else to ever have to feel the pain I have felt. As much as cancer affects every single person's life, most people will not try and change the inevitable. I want to give people that chance to be a part of something bigger than themselves that they feel they cannot change. There has always been a bigger purpose for people than living the path given to them, and that small change can start with helping people that may not be able to help themselves.  Every day, I miss him and wish he were here to watch me grow into the person I am today. I wish I could tell him about high school.  However, most of all, I miss being able to give him a hug and sit and share a bowl of ice cream.  None of this is fair and needs to stop, the suffering needs to end. This is why the effective research that LLS is able to do is so important. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is truly changing the face of cancer and research. The survival rate of researched blood cancers has more than doubled. My 7-week campaign will give LLS the opportunity to continue fighting this disease. I cannot do this alone; I need your help.

As you know, everyone wins when cancer loses. Thanks to your support, my efforts will help fund therapies and treatments that are saving lives. Over the years, support from people like you has been responsible for the blood cancer advancements that have doubled, tripled, and in some cases quadrupled the survival rate for some blood cancers.
 
Many LLS-supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are also now used to treat patients with rare forms of stomach and skin cancers and are in clinical trials for patients with lung, brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers. And LLS-funded drugs like targeted therapies and immunotherapies are now saving thousands of lives every day.
 
We really are getting close to our goal of a world without blood cancers!

All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. They'll not only support LLS research, but patient services, advocacy, public and professional education, and community services as well.

This is how you can help me!  Go to my online fundraising page: https://events.lls.org/in/northeastinsoy22/rkosteck

You can also help me raise funds by inviting your friends, family and everyone in your networks to join us by making a donation. Aside from donations, we would love to hear from you or someone you know who would be willing to donate goods or services for auction items, sponsorships, or other possible fundraising opportunities. Please note: your donations are tax deductible. Large or small, your contribution to this worthy effort will be greatly appreciated.

Please help Team W.A.C. (Winning Against Cancer) in making a difference against cancer!

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you for your support! For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org

Love and many thanks for your support,

Regan J. Kosteck

2022 Student of the Year Candidate