Hi! My name is Evan Asuncion and I am a junior at St. Albans School. I am honored to be participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2020 Students of the Year (SOY) campaign.

SOY is a seven-week fundraising initiative in which high school students compete to raise funds for LLS’s mission: to find a cure for blood cancers, fund cancer research, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Over the past few years, students from St. Albans and National Cathedral School have been active in supporting this important cause. I am excited to work with my teammates to continue this tradition of raising awareness of blood cancers like leukemia, which is the most common form of cancer in children and teens, and raising funds to find a cure. 

Although LLS focuses on blood cancers, multiple treatments for all types of cancers have been found as a result of research funded by donations from people like you.

One of the reasons I decided to participate in SOY was to honor my grandmother, Linda Edwards, who died of breast cancer in 2015. Throughout her life she brought joy to her family and friends. Even when struggling with cancer, she continued to put others before herself. Her resilience and goodness of heart motivates me to help others and spread kindness like she did. The SOY campaign gives me an opportunity to honor her memory and help families in need.

Since I've gotten involved with the SOY campaign, I've been suprised to learn that many more people that I realized have been affected by blood cancer. I've heard from friends who have siblings, parents, and grandparents who have battled with leukemia and Hodgkin's disease. 

In particular, a fellow bulldog brother from St. Albans, Jonathan Rufino, Class of 2018, was recently diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancer has interrupted his college career and he is back home undergoing chemotherapy treamments.  I hope my efforts with Team Close Cares will bring more attention to this cause and raise a lot for LLS' innovative research to help get Jonathan healthy again.

Please join me in supporting my campaign and LLS by making a donation. Thanks to your support, my efforts will help fund the therapies and treatments and help save lives today.

LLS's continued advancements over the years are responsible for the blood cancer survival rate doubling and tripling; in some cases, the survival rate has even quadrupled.

All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. With your donation, you’re not only supporting LLS research but patient services, advocacy, public and professional education, and community services as well. 

Please visit my fundraising page often and pass along the link to family, friends, neighbors, colleagues; anyone who might donate! I need lots of support to reach my fundraising goal!

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, I thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Evan Asuncion

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