My eldest niece, Naomi, is a junior at WT Woodson High School in Fairfax, VA; she has been honoured with a nomination as a team leader in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) 2020 Students of the Year campaign. From January 18th through March 7th of 2020, students across the country will be competing to see who can raise the most funds and awareness for LLS’s mission:  to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.  Given my personal experience of losing my best friend since childhood, Maureen McLellan, to melanoma when we were both just 31, Naomi has recruited me to join her team along with my younger niece, Sophia, and a few of their high school friends - Shawyon, Ai Vy, & Ava.  The team originally set an ambitious goal of $50,000 (which I think is pretty impressive for a teensy group of high schoolers!)... then they increased it to $100,000.  Now, they're feeling so excited about their efforts to date pursuing corporate sponsorships and personal donations that they've increased their goal to $150,000!!!  Each dollar is a vote and the members of the team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks are named Students of the Year.  

I am raising funds in memory of Maureen; to honour her parents, siblings, husband, and son; for all my relatives and loved ones who have battled cancer; and for everyone who is currently battling or are in remission from cancer.  LLS's research has incredible influence on other cancer treatments, including melanoma; it was amazing to learn that, since 2000, 40% of ALL cancer drugs (including for melanoma, other skin cancers, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, & many more... not just those for blood cancers) were first approved to treat blood cancer; and LLS funded more than 60% of the blood cancer therapies being used to treat other cancers.  Add to that that LLS funded drugs are now being tested for patients with other non-cancerous diseases like Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis - I know the LLS mission is something we can all get behind.

Join us in the fight!!!

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, etc. who might share our passion for making cancer history so that no one ever has to go through what Maureen's family and far too many other families did. 

We just launched our online silent auction through March 1 with some amazing items, including signed Raptors, Leafs, and Islanders jerseys; plus amazing adventures including exotic cars, learning to fly, and even a Pinehurst golf vacation; plus much more!  Check it out and get your bids in at www.32auctions.com/teamcureit 

Thank you so much for your support and for making Team Cure It's efforts a record-breaking success!!!

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

If you would prefer to mail your donation, please make your check payable to: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 3601 Eisenhower Ave., Suite 450, Alexandria, VA 22304 and print "Naomi & Sophia White" in the Memo line.  The deadline for receiving contributions is March 7.