Dear Supporters & Friends,

Today more than a million Americans are fighting a daily battle with blood cancers and every 3 minutes another person unwillingly joins the fight. I have been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the battle and help those living with blood cancers. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has nominated me as a candidate in their 2024 Louisiana “Student Visionaries of the Year” fundraising campaign, and I could not be more excited to make a difference in the lives of patients across the country. This mission is especially important to me personally because my dad is a cancer survivor. Also, my uncle TP was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer 4 ½  years ago, at the age of 57.  After a long fight, he lost his battle to cancer on October 30th, 2023.  I want to help find a cure and this is the perfect way for me to honor my uncle TP.  I know that this is not a simple project, so by participating in LLS I can support the missions, make a difference, and be one step closer to the cure. LLS is not only making breakthroughs in the world of blood cancers, but they are also having a large impact in finding a cure for cancer in general. More than 40% of new cancer therapies approved by the FDA since 2000 were first approved for blood cancer patients. 

I have assembled Cardinals With A Cause to help me raise funds. I am proud to lead my campaign team and work towards our goal to raise $100,000 during the next 7 weeks - from February 1st - March 23rd.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the largest donor to blood cancer research in the nation. They have invested nearly $1.3 billion in research, and are leaders in advancing breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics, and personalized medicine. These revolutionary new treatments originally discovered through blood cancer research are now being tested in clinical trials for other cancers. While there has been phenomenal progress, there is still so much more to be done. Cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in children and young adults. 

My campaign provides an opportunity to support the critical work of LLS in combating these diseases.  I am honoring those who have battled blood cancers and raising money that will go directly to LLS in support of its longstanding mission to find a cure and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Along with my team, I will work to increase awareness about the impact of blood cancers and the cutting edge treatments that are currently being researched, as well as inspire others to join the fight to find a cure. I cannot do this alone, I need your help. 

This is how you can help me! Please visit my fundraising website https://events.lls.org/msla/svoynola24/cparenton and click on the “Donate Today” button. The following page has specific donation instructions. If you would prefer to mail your donation, please use the pre-addressed envelope. Please make your check payable to “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society” and print “SVOY Callie” in the “memo” portion of the check. The deadline for receiving contributions in the mail is March 20th. Please note: your donations are tax deductible. 

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, and would like to sponsor the Grand Finale on Saturday, March 23rd or other possible fundraising opportunities. Large or small, your contribution to this worthy effort will be greatly appreciated.

Help be part of the cure and help my team compete in the Louisiana Student Visionaries of the Year campaign. For more information, please contact me at cparenton25@ashrosary.org. For more information about LLS and Student Visionaries of the Year, please visit www.llsstudentvisionaries.org. 

Callie Parenton

Visionaries2024 Student Visionaires of the Year Candidate