Dear Friends and Family,

Today more than a million Americans are fighting a daily battle with blood cancers and every 4 minutes another person unwillingly joins the fight. I have been given the once in a lifetime opportunity to join the battle to help those living with blood cancers. I am honored to have been nominated to participate in the 2020 Students of the Year program benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The Students of the Year program is a 7 week fundraising competition in which high school students around the country compete to raise money for LLS. I was nominated for the program by a close family friend who is a cancer survivor, and I immediately wanted to be a part of this initiative. 

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 blood cancer treatments. In fact, the treatments that LLS is funding benefit all cancer patients. More than 40% of the new cancer treatment drugs approved by the FDA since 2005 started as blood cancer drugs but are now being applied to other forms of cancer. While there has been phenomenal progress in the fight to cure cancer, there is still so much more to be done. Leukemia is still the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 20. My campaign provides an opportunity to support the critical work of LLS in combating these diseases, and supporting patients and their families. Along with my team, I will work to increase awareness about the impact of blood cancers, as well as inspire others to join the fight to find a cure. 

I have assembled Team Together We Cure to help me raise funds. I am proud to lead my campaign team and work towards our goal to raise $75,000 during the next 7 weeks, from January 26th–March 13th, 2020.

I have signed up to save lives, and I hope you will join me! Together, we can end blood cancer once and for all. All donations, big and small, are greatly appreciated and tax deductible.

For more information about LLS and Student of the Year, please visit https://studentsoftheyear.org/

Thank you in advance for helping me make a difference in the lives of people battling blood cancers.

Sincerely,

Shea Kennedy

2020 Student of the Year Candidate