This past October I had the honor of being nominated as a candidate for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Students of the Year Campaign. Students of the Year is a seven week leadership development fundraising campaign starting January 11^th, 2020 and ending February 29^th, 2020. Students across the country will be raising awareness of the research, patient access programs, and advocacy being conducted through LLS in addition to funds to support their mission to cure blood cancers.  I am doing this because I like being able to help people who cannot help themselves, and this is an opportunity for me to do just that. 

Each dollar is a vote. The candidate team that raises the most money at the end of the seven weeks is named Student of the Year. Our 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. Leukemia forms in blood-forming tissue. The cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of blood cells in the bone marrow.

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.

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!

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

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

Sincerely,

Ty Swick