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 and help those living with blood cancers. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has nominated me as a candidate in their Charlotte “Students of the Year” fundraising challenge, and I could not be more excited to make a difference in the lives of patients across the country.

We all know the destruction cancer causes within families and communities alike, but until I joined the fight with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I had no clue just how many lives were impacted. This summer, my physical therapist nominated me for Student of the Year for the Greater Charlotte area. As a candidate for this philanthropic leadership development program, I’m responsible for running my own campaign in order to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). My physical therapist had no idea that my mom’s godfather, who was a grandfather to me, died of multiple myeloma just a few years ago. I remember the countless days spent at the hospital in the company of my grandfather watching him battle this disease. No one should have to endure the pain and suffering that my family did.  

It was this year I discovered something hapless about a lot of people I know; their families have also been affected in a humongous way due to cancer. I'm left bewildered that so many people are affected by cancer in some way, a majority being blood cancer, yet there is still no cure?  I’m joining this fight with LLS because I’ve always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. Pat Schlappich is a hometown hero in Union County who’s been fighting lymphoma and I’ve decided to do my campaign in honor of him. I anticipate that LLS will find a cure for cancer! However, no cure will ever be found unless backed by the funds to do so.

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.

I have assembled Team The Pack Fights Back to help me raise funds. I am proud to lead my campaign team and work towards our goal to raise $75,000 from January 17 – March 5, 2021.

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.