Blood cancer is a serious disease that needs attention. Blood cancers account for approximately 10 percent of all new cancer cases diagnosed, and an estimated 68,000 deaths will result from blood cancer this year. This year, I have been given a special opportunity to raise money for those who suffer from this devastating disease. My name is Ava Diepenbrock and I am currently a sophomore at St Francis High School. This year I was given the amazing opportunity to be apart of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Students of the Year campaign. The Students of the Year campaign is a leadership development program for high school students across the country to join the fight against blood cancer by collectively raising funds. I am a part of a hardworking fundraising team, Team Ignite the Fight, which is composed of 18 high school students that will work for seven weeks in order to achieve our goal. The campaign starts today, February 13, 2020 and concludes on April 3, 2020. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has been a large contributor to helping find a cure. Currently, 15 out of 18 treatments are funded by LLS. Together we are extremely motivated and will put all our effort into raising as much money as we can to reach our ambitious team goal of $85,000. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the largest contributor to the fight to end blood cancer. LLS helped advance 34 of the 39 blood cancer treatment options approved by the FDA in 2017 and 2018. As the largest nonprofit funder of cutting-edge blood cancer research to advance cures, LLS has invested nearly $1.3 billion in cancer research. This year, our Honored Hero is Toben. Toben is 7 years old and was diagnosed with B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on August 19, 2016. Fortunately, he was able to defeat cancer with the help of LLS and concluded his treatment completely on December 9, 2019. We look forward to celebrating with him throughout the campaign. You can join the fight to help kids like Toben. Any amount is greatly valued and appreciated. My team and I appreciate any help that we can get. Thank you so much for supporting my team and the LLS community.

I am honored to participate as a team member for the 2020 Students of the Year program, a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from around the country participate in a fundraising competition to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am proud to support my candidate and am raising critical dollars in honor of a young patient hero who is currently battling or is in remission from a blood cancer. 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.

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.

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!

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

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