Campaign Summary
June 2009 - We thought we'd let you know how we fared at the 2009 LLS Man & Woman of the Year Gala on Saturday night.
While MaryJo did not win the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2009 Woman of the Year Award for the National Capital Area Chapter, she was awarded the 2009 Mission Award as part of the National Capital Area Chapter's Man & Woman Citizenship Awards, which seek to reward those candidates who have advanced the efforts to cure blood cancers by making significant contributions through their campaigns.
The Mission Award honors the candidate(s) who achieved exceptional outreach and advocacy, as well as showed exemplary commitment to the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, throughout the 10-week campaign. Overall, nominees are judged on creativity, passion, reach, and leadership. All the 2009 Man & Woman of the Year candidates, plus the Man & Woman Leadership Team, voted for the candidate they believed should win the 2009 Mission Award. Nadine Namoff, another 2009 Woman of the Year candidate, tied with MaryJo to also receive a 2009 Mission Award.
In many ways, MaryJo winning this award was more gratifying than winning one of the fundraising awards would have been. Better still, MaryJo will celebrate her four-year cancer-free milestone in a few weeks!
Overall campaign fundraising results:
The 2009 Man & Woman of the Year candidate team, made up of 21 men and women from D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia, collectively reached a new National LLS record, raising $897,235.77 in 10 weeks. Additional information can be found here.
Fighting 4 A Cure's fundraising results:
Team Fighting 4 A Cure (www.fighting4acure.com) raised nearly $45,000 to help find a cure for blood cancers and provide much-needed patient services for those currently suffering from leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Best,
Team Fighting 4 A Cure
About MJ
My name is MaryJo Robinson. I am a wife, daughter, sister, friend, professional, volunteer, supporter, community contributor, tap-dancer, theater lover, shopper, TiVo addict, and cancer survivor. My story is no different from the other 894,000 Americans living with blood cancer. We all fight each day for a cure—a cure for all cancers. This is not only my fight, but also your fight, and our fight together.
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About the Campaign
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man & Woman of the Year is a unique national campaign that focuses on raising money for the fight against blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Hundreds of men and women in 41 cities across America vie for the title each year in a ten-week fundraising competition.
All candidates competing for the title of Man & Woman of the Year agree to utilize their leadership abilities to conduct their own fundraising campaigns for LLS. Every dollar counts as one vote. The male and female candidates with the most votes are named the chapter's Man & Woman of the Year. Their totals are then considered in naming national titles. Since 2000, the National Capital Area Chapter (NCA) has had seven national winners and been the #1 chapter in the nation since 2002.
Candidates raise money in honor of the Boy & Girl of the Year. They are patient heroes chosen for their strength and winning attitudes. Each becomes a spokesperson for the thousands of patients that have been helped by LLS's patient services and research. The families have pledged to help the candidates and campaign in a variety of ways, most importantly speaking at and attending events and motivating the candidates.
This year, the NCA will celebrate its 18th Anniversary. The campaign will launch in April of 2009 and culminate with the Grand Finale Gala on Saturday, June 13, at The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.
Candidates are nominated by a selection committee made up of past candidates, chapter staff, local LLS supporters and the chapter Board of Trustees. Candidates typically have a personal connection to LLS or a willingness to learn about it; are self-motivators, enthusiastic, well-networked and success driven; have an interest in increasing public awareness of blood cancers; and have a track record of success in business and/or community endeavors. Each candidate is asked to raise a minimum of $10,000.
2009 Boy & Girl of the Year
Alessandro Valeri was a typical lively and healthy boy and had never had so much as a cold during his first year of life. He was first diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) at the ripe age of 17 months in March, 2002. He spent numerous months at Children's National Medical Center in DC during his three and a half year treatment and then relapsed rather early into chemotherapy treatment at the age of 3 not only in his bone marrow, where the leukemia was initially present but also in his central nervous system. On January 12, 2004, Alessandro underwent his bone marrow transplant. Yet, the worst had just begun. Unfortunately, about five months after transplant, he developed chronic, extensive graft-vs-host disease, mostly limited to the skin, with some liver involvement, which has continued to be very challenging to manage despite him being on multiple immune suppressive drugs. The wonderful staff at Children's, with their expertise and kindness together with our family and friend's tremendous support and help, made all the difference in the world. We have many funny stories to share during our countless and seemingly endless stays in the hospital. My family became well known by the staff of nurses and doctors for the "restaurant" we had in our hospital room almost every night, sheets spread out on the floor for our picnics, with it's homemade ten-course meals and fragrant aromas wafting out into the halls. Five years have flown by since Ale's transplant. He is finally off all immune suppressive therapy. He is alive and thriving and oh so sociable and entertaining. I had never thought that I would see him go to school and yet he is currently attending first grade and enjoying every moment! He is truly a remarkable young man. |
Megan Avery was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on November 1, 2006 when she was 3 years old. It was a day that changed our lives forever. Megan had been sick for about two weeks with flu like symptoms and a fever that would come and go. We took her to the Shady Grove Hospital ER so we could get every test done we needed all in one place. You never think someone is going to tell you your child has cancer...it's just too rare, it can't happen to you. The ER was crowded that night, so in the middle of the hallway in the ER the doctor told us that Megan had Leukemia. Later that night we were transported to Children's Hospital in D.C. by ambulance and our 2 year chemotherapy protocol began the very next morning. Although this has been an incredibly tough time for our family we have learned so much. We have learned how loving, giving and supportive our friends and family are. But mostly we have learned how incredibly brave and resilient Megan has become. She plays, loves, laughs and fights with her big brother and sister just like any normal kid would do! |