Hello! My Name is Kathryn Boren but many of you know me as Katie. This year I  have been given the wonderful opportunity of being a campaign leader for LLS’s students of the Year campaign commonly referred to as SOY. SOY is a student-led fundraiser to raise money, spread awareness, and also build leadership skills. I am so excited to lead my Team alongside my partner Katie Tannous on the mission of spreading awareness and supporting those affected by blood cancers. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has the mission of curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Within its mission, LLS works on this goal through the pillars of research, advocacy, and access.  Since its founding in 1949 such has funding 15 out of 18 FDA treatments for blood cancer in 2017. However, LLS still needs our support to reach its mission of finding cures for various blood cancers. Every 3 minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer often those being children with leukemia which is the #1 most diagnosed form of childhood cancer. Such as our 2021 honored hero, Emma. Emma is 14 years old and has fought  Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. With help from LLS Emma and her family were able to beat her cancer diagnosis but, there are many who are not so lucky. With your support, LLS can help to reach more patients and their families. 

(Emma, our 2021 honored hero)

I am writing this to ask for your support in the LLS mission and my team's wish to better the lives of those affected by blood cancers. I would greatly appreciate it if you would support my team and me by donating to our fundraising website, anything helps to help my team reach our goal of $10,000. Our campaign begins on February 4th, which is when you can start to make your donations. The last opportunity to donate will be on March 24th when our campaign ends.  Your contribution would mean so much to me, my team, and the LLS community! All the money we raise will go back to LLS which can help support medical bills and copays of patients with blood cancers and to fund research.