Dear Friends and Family,

Today more than a million Americans are battling blood cancers and every 4 minutes another person unwillingly joins the fight. I have been given the unique opportunity to help those living with blood cancers, as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has nominated me as a candidate in their Charlotte “Students of the Year” fundraising challenge. I am very excited to make a difference in the lives of patients across the country.

This mission is especially important to me personally because in June of 2018, my dad gave me a phone call to tell me that my aunt had died of ovarian cancer. I have not forgotten that phone call, and it still resonates with me today. To everyone in my family, Bridget was just the best. Her neighbor even called her “Saint Bridget.” The biggest thing about my aunt is that it was never about her or what she wanted, it was always about everyone else. Whenever we went to Notre Dame Football games, she would give up her scarf if you were cold, or she would run down and miss part of the game to get you a hot chocolate. But more than that, Bridget devoted her life to better the lives of others. She was a children’s physical therapist for a living. She worked with disabled kids and kids recovering from surgery to help them learn to move, walk, and use their bodies adequately. She took annual trips to Nicaragua to provide aid to the people there, and literally washed the feet of those in a developing country. Bridget cared infinitely more about everyone else than herself. When she died, it crushed everyone that knew her - her funeral had hundreds of people attend. I’d never seen my family cry like that, and I hadn’t cried like that in a long time. I don’t want that for anyone else. No one else should have to experience the grief and devastation that my family felt. This campaign gives me a platform to help try to end the devastation of losing someone to cancer. Bridget motivates me every day, and my campaign is in honor of her. 

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. LLS has funded more than 60% of the blood cancer therapies being used to treat other cancers, like ovarian cancer. While there has been phenomenal progress in the fight to cure cancer, there is still so much more to be done. Statistically, one in three women and one in two men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. 

With my co-candidate, Kenneth Jackson, I have assembled a team called Runners for the Cure 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 January 26^th – March 13^th, 2020.

Help be part of the cure and help my team compete in the Charlotte Students of the Year campaign. For more information about LLS and Student of the Year, please visit studentsoftheyear.org. 

Sincerely,

Connor Kleiderer

2020 Student of the Year Candidate