The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Student of the Year campaign is a six-week initiative in which nominated high school students, participate in a fundraising competition to raise funds for LLS and win the title Student of the Year. Candidates raise funds in honor of blood cancer patients and survivors. The candidate who raises the most money at the end of the six weeks is named Student of the Year and wins a scholarship to the school or university of their choice. In addition, there is one Citizenship Award for the student candidate who excels in Mission Focus.
The program is a fantastic opportunity for local area high school students enrolled in public or private schools who are enthusiastic about volunteerism, philanthropy, community outreach, and developing leadership skills to participate in the fight against blood cancers.
There are 17 Atlanta area students competing in the inaugural campaign and two are from East Cobb County: Payton Stewart of Lassiter High School and Ally Winkler of Pope High School.
Payton Stewart is a sophomore at Lassiter High School. Her interest in the Student of the Year campaign is very personal, having lost her grandfather to Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) almost 16 years ago, when she was only four months old. Payton says, “I wish that I had gotten the chance to know him, and I would love to think that my efforts will help bring us one step closer to finding a cure for blood cancers.”
Ally Winkler is a senior at Pope High School. A few months ago, she lost her grandfather to leukemia. Ally says he was the strongest man she ever met, never complaining or giving in to the cancer. She watched him fight for many years, and says she feels honored to have the opportunity of helping those who have had this experience and to rally for the fighters themselves. “The Student of the Year campaign is such an amazing chance for me to offer some good from a difficult situation, as well as honor my grandpa’s life, his strength, his courage, and his unforgettable humor that never failed to put a smile on my face,” says Ally.
This year’s program is the inaugural campaign for the Georgia Chapter, kicked off on January 14, 2016. For six weeks, the candidate teams are focused on raising as much money as possible for LLS and the mission. The campaign culminates in a Grand Finale Gala on February 26, which will include a reception, silent auction and awards presentation. For more information on the Student of the Year campaign, visit: www.lls.org/ga or contact Chantal Coxhead, Special Events Campaign Manager, at: Chantal.Coxhead@lls.org or 404-720-7849.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ® (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: 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 and provides free information and support services.
The Georgia Chapter serves patients with a variety of programs including the Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program, The Trish Greene Back to School Program for Children with Cancer and the LLS Co-Pay Assistance Program which last year provided $1.37 million to patients statewide. Currently, the Georgia Chapter is funding a $1.68 million Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP) research grant with Dr. Anand Jillella of Emory Winship Cancer Institute. There were approximately 4,230 new diagnoses for blood cancer in Georgia in 2014. Visit www.lls.org/ga.
Reprinted from EAST COBBER’s February 2016 issue
