I have chosen to participate in LLS students of the year because so many people have cancer or know someone who does. I myself had 3 grandparents with cancer. My grandfather and grandmother are thankfully survivors. My other grandfather sadly lost his life to this horrible disease. One of my teachers has also struggled with cancer. I choose to do this fundraising competition in honor of my grandparents and my teacher.

Dear friends and family,

I am honored to be a team member and support  the 2019 Students of the Year program, a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from the Greater Cleveland area participate in a fundraising competition to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

This year, I am raising funds in honor of Jane, a local blood cancer survivor. On October 9, 2015 Jane woke up with a lump on her neck that continued to grow through out the day. Later, an x-ray showed that she had a mass and was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She was rushed to the Cleveland Clinic where she immediatly started chemo. Despite a relapse, fertility treatment, radiation and a stem cell transplant, Jane has been in remission since December 2016! 

Since the early 1960s, five-year survival rates for many blood cancer patients have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled. And many LLS supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are helping patients with other cancers and serious diseases. In fact, drugs first approved for blood cancers are now approved to treat patients with stomach cancers, skin cancers, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. 

Like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I believe that beating cancer is in our blood. Cancer is a bully, but I am not afraid to stand up and fight. I invite you to stand with me and join my fight! My mission 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. 

Together, we really are changing the face of blood cancer!

All donations are greatly appreciated and 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.

Please visit our website often and bring friends who would also like to donate!

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

Sincerely,