Welcome and thank you for visiting our fundraising page!

Did you know that approximately every 9 minutes someone in the US dies from a blood cancer? This statistic represents approximately 158 people each day or more than six people every hour, and grows every year in severity.

We are two high school students, Cedar and Harrison, raising funds to support research on blood cancers because both of us want to help kids and their families avoid becoming statistics. 

At first, my dad thought the cough was spring allergies, then he felt a lump in his throat. When it became difficult to swallow, a doctor ordered steroids to reduce the swelling but the cough and neck pain persisted. On July 3, 2017, my dad was diagnosed with primary mediastinal diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (PMBCL). Our entire family was shocked. While the 5-year survival rate is favorable for PMBCL patients, I asked my dad every day if he was going to die. He promised me that the R-EPOCH chemotherapy treatment was working and that he wasn’t going anywhere. After 6 rounds of chemotherapy, my dad entered remission in November 2017 and we recently celebrated his 5 year anniversary of being cancer free together. - Cedar Wine

Unfortunately, not every blood cancer story ends with a happy ending and that’s why we need your help. As students, we’ve learned the primary reason why patients die from blood cancers is that many lack an effective treatment. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a global leader in the fight against blood cancer and has made it their mission to end blood cancers by funding research into treatments and cures. Since 2017, LLS has helped to advance 75% of treatments for blood cancers approved by the FDA. The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and serves as a voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

We invite you to join us in our mission of advocacy and fundraising as we participate in the LLS's Student Visionaries of the Year (SVOY) program. LLS SVOY is a campaign in which students around the country compete to raise the most funds to direct towards curing blood cancer. We kick off a 7 week donation window on January 12th that runs through March 4th and would greatly appreciate your support.

No donation is too small as every dollar donated helps in the fight against blood cancer. If your company has a matching gift program, please consider asking them to match your tax-deductible donation. Please consider encouraging your family and friends to make a donation by sharing this link to amplify your impact. Corporate sponsorships of all levels with enticing benefits are also available. If your company or one you know may be interested in this, please reach out to Cedar Wine at cwechota@gmail.com.

We appreciate your support in this mission!

Harrison Leonard & Cedar Wine 

11th Grade Students, Niwot High School