Stories

Joe, my best friend’s father-in-law, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011 during her engagement and was already gone by her first wedding anniversary in 2013. Joe dedicated a decade of his life serving on foundations supporting leukemia research without any personal tie to the cancer until his diagnosis. After her new father’s death, my best friend and her husband took part in Team in Training (TNT) in support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). TNT is the largest charity endurance-training program in the world and in the last 30 years, through the efforts of 650,000 athletes, has raised over $1 billion for LLS.

Since its inception in 1949, LLS, the leading funder of cutting-edge blood-cancer research, has invested close to $1.3 billion dollars to find the cures for blood cancer. While we have seen incredible advances in treatments for many blood cancers, unfortunately, still one third of patients diagnosed with a blood cancer will not live 5 years past their diagnosis. Therefore, LLS remains relentless in its dedication to find the cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and improve the lives of blood cancer patients and their families.  

One of the ways LLS raises money is through its signature events and, in Charlotte specifically, aside from TNT, there are 4 other opportunities to help LLS move the needle towards finding the cures for cancer.

The LLS Man & Woman of the Year (MWOY) is a philanthropic competition to support blood cancer research among a group of Charlotte’s motivated and dedicated ‘movers and shakers’. Candidates form powerful fundraising teams and compete in honor of two local children who are blood cancer survivors. This year’s 19 carefully chosen candidates kick off their fundraising efforts on March 21 culminating on June 1 with over 1200 people at the Finale; a gala taking place at the Charlotte Convention Center. If you or your business is interested in sponsoring a table or purchasing tickets for the June 1st Finale, please reach out to Chloe Brown in the Charlotte office by calling 704-705-1822.

Similar to MWOY, the Students of the Year campaign features high school students looking to combine philanthropy with leadership and community service. The 2019 7-week fundraising campaign is underway, culminating on March 7 with its Charlotte Finale. If you have or know of a high school student who would be interested in giving back to others while raising funds to cure cancer in next year’s 2020 campaign, please reach out to Melanie Owen in the Charlotte office at 704-705-1815. LLS also is looking for businesses to sponsor the Students of the Year campaign, and there are many different opportunities and activations available to that end.

LLS is always innovative in their fundraising initiatives, and creates opportunities that are enriching for all those involved. Their Pennies for Patients (P4P) program, geared toward fundraising and educational programming in elementary and middle school, fosters compassion and teaches children about giving to help others. LLS provides a curriculum for teachers to use in the classroom to teach them about cancer in order to help them understand how to love their fellow classmates who after surviving cancer may come back to school without hair or who need to leave early for treatments, etc. If your child attends an elementary, middle or high school in greater Charlotte and you would like information about holding a P4P program in their school, please reach out to Robin Shaw in the Charlotte office at 704-756-2783.

Light the Night Charlotte is an amazing celebration of light driving out the darkness of cancer. This community, grass roots event on Saturday, November 9th at Romare Bearden Park brings together thousands of greater Charlotte residents, walking together in honor of cancer survivors and their caregivers, and in memory of those we’ve lost too soon. If you are interested in starting a team of friends, family and co-workers, or a business that wants to help LLS find the cures for cancer, please reach out to Ashley Davis in the Charlotte office at 704-705-1826.

Please SHARE in LLS’s efforts to help raise money to find the cures for blood cancers, as well as other cancers, because “BEATING CANCER IS IN OUR BLOOD” and we want to help support important discoveries to find the cures.