Thank you so much for your interest in supporting LLS’s mission to find a cure for blood cancer! Please note, online fundraising gifts made from this point forward will not impact the announcement of the 2020 Triad Students of the Year, but your donation will still greatly impact LLS’s mission.

Hi, my name is Keri Rhodes, and I am a junior at West Forsyth High School. I am honored to participate as a candidate for the 2020 Students of the Year program, a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from around the country participate in a fundraising competition to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am participating in honor of a local, young hero, Johnny Van Kemp, a highschooler at Northern Guilford who has battled with leukemia. The candidate team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student of the Year. My goal is to not only raise the most money but also to bring attention to blood cancers like leukemia, which is the most common form of cancer in children and teens. Although the money raised will go towards blood cancer research, the discoveries made here can help our community make advances in other areas of cancer research as well. The impact is exponential. 

Cancer has played a role in almost everybody's life. It wasn't until my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 that I truly understood the effect of this disease on not only the person, but their loved ones as well. I am not just fighting for blood cancer patients. This is about all of the parents, siblings, spouses and friends who are dealing with their fair share of struggles as they support their loved ones. LLS works to improve their lives as well. 

Approximately every 3 minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with blood cancer. On top of this, Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, accounting for 30% of all childhood cancers. However, survival rates have continued to improve over the past 20 years, and LLS works to continue this upward trend. 

All donations are tax deductible. They'll not only support LLS-funded research but will help provide critical information and support for patients, and support advocacy for laws to ensure patients can access the care and treatments they need. 

Your help with spreading the word and supporting my mission would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you for your support! Your charity can transform lives. 

For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org.