It’s Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Student Visionary (LLS VOY)of the Year Kickoff starting right now!!! I know last year when I was a part of the post high school VOY fundraising competition, I said I wouldn’t do it every year. I didn’t know there was a high school version, and I’d end up meeting the amazing Ava Turner and her wonderful family. I wound up nominating Ava and joining her team, which she graciously accepted, because she is extraordinary and you need to know her too.
 

Ava was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at age 4 and has been in remission since age 6. She turned 17 over the summer. She’s an excellent student, sings in a band, works at the family’s newly opened Rolling Scones Bakery, and is on all sorts of teams and in activities at school. She has spoken and raised funds for blood cancer for all this time and plans to work with patients and families after college to help them through their journey. As you can see from the pictures in this post and in future posts, Ava was quite the artist, hero, and go-getter even when going through treatment. She was walking around at 5 with a red buckets “shaking people down for donations,” as she says. The second we saw her drawing (in the photos), Ava knew our team should be named Peace, Love, and No More Cancer- perfection!

So yes, there will be many posts and asks, but I can say every cent is worth it, and LLS does an amazing job with the funds we raise, which do stay in the northeast Ohio area. If you saw my posts last year, you know we get these fun and crazy incentives that add more to our goal, so I would love your participation. You might remember the day we were hunting for every letter of the alphabet to donate – it was so fun!

Additionally, we have more fun activities lined you for, and I will be drawing gift cards and other fun things over the seven weeks for my page. Currently, we are looking for sponsors and selling ads for the program, and I would love to hear from you if you are interested. if you’ve seen anything from last year, you know how we get specific goal incentives and contests and can win thousands more if we make them.
 

To add to the fun, I’ll be offering some prize drawings. From now (January 17 12:01 am) until Tuesday January 21 at midnight, every donation of $5 or more will be entered to win a $15 Dunkin’ Doughnuts gift card. So donate early and often ;)

Visionaries look to the future—and see infinite possibility.
They challenge the status quo—and make the impossible possible.
They boldly imagine a better world – and lead the charge to create it.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was built on that same vision - of a better world - one without blood cancers.

I am a visionary; I have a vision for a world without cancer, but I need your help.

This year, I’m proud to be a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign, working to raise as much as possible for LLS’s mission.

As a global leader in the fight against blood cancer, LLS:

• Funds cutting-edge research leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine that are improving and saving the lives of patients
• Provides free education and support for blood cancer patients and families, including personalized, one-on-one support, assistance with identifying and enrolling in clinical trials, and more.
• Mobilizes thousands of advocates to drive policy changes that accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and break down barriers to care.

Please consider joining this fight by making a donation. All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. Please visit my website often and tell friends who would also like to donate!

Thanks to your support, my efforts will help ensure this generation is the last to see cancer.

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you!

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