Every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood disease such as Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, or Myeloma. This year we are so excited to have been nominated as candidates for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Students of the Year Campaign for 2020.  This is a seven-week fundraising competition to raise money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  We know that with your help, anything is possible!

Raising funds to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a cause that is very near and dear to our hearts.  It is safe to say that most people have been in contact with someone who is directly affected by cancer.  Anna’s grandfather, Ernie Baxter, suffered from Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) for 12 years.  He passed away on February 21, 2015.  Paige’s grandmother, Elayne Chapin, passed away on October 13, 2017 after her short battle with pancreatic cancer. LLS funded treatments are going beyond just blood cancer to help treat pancreatic, brain, and breast cancer, and even arthritis and diabetes – to name a few!

The campaign honors our local Boy & Girl of the Year, Pirlo Garcia and Malaun Broome. Pirlo was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) when he was 2 years old and is been in remission since 2017, but many aren’t as lucky.  Only four oncology drugs have been approved for children in 40 years, making it difficult to encounter a treatment that is both safe and effective for pediatric cancer patients. This is why LLS has announced the brand new Children’s Initiative, more than doubling their investment in pediatric research grants!

As you consider donating, here is the impact you will make in the lives of fighters:

• $1,000 helps fund one day of medical staff providing patients and caregivers with clinical trial search navigation support through the LLS’s Clinical Trial Support Center.
• $100 helps fund general lab supplies for one week, allowing researchers funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to conduct critical blood cancer research.
• $50 helps provides educational booklets for healthcare providers and their patients

Please contact us via email at anna.paige4lls@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more about the corporate sponsorship opportunities available with LLS in support of our campaign. We have been working on our campaign since September, and we appreciate your interest.  Thank you for your support and consideration.  Beating cancer is in our blood!

Blessings,

Anna Baxter and Paige Williams

2020 Students of the Year Co-Candidates