The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) second annual Students of the Year campaign exceeded all expectations, with 11 candidate teams, comprised of 20 extraordinary high school students, raising $347,214 to help find cancer cures.
Team For the Love of the Blood, led by Maddie Girard and Casey Roszko from Manhasset High School, were named Students of the Year, with more than $118,252 raised.
Girard and Roszko built a team of students to support them in their effort. Supporting team members include Manhasset students: Ava Albanese, Owen Connor, Alicia Convey, Danielle DeBiasi, Olivia Dooley, Grace Gately, Abby Goodwin, Mary Kenlon, Allison Lane, Olivia Lavelle, Erin McAree, Jacklyn Mitaritonna, Caroline Mondiello, Kendall Sims, Quinn Scaring and Caroline Taylor. Trey Sperry who attends Chaminade High School, Anna Frachilla of Locust Valley and Lindsay Kernen of Strath Haven in Wallingford, PA also assisted in the cause.
“We’re very proud to have raised so much for an important cause in such a short period of time. We really pushed ourselves to reach our goal of $100,000 because we knew every dollar helps blood cancer patients,” said Roszko.
“Our motivation stemmed from my personal battle with lymphoma and those who benefit from LLS’s advances in cancer research. We are happy to help LLS in creating a world without blood cancer. It was a great team effort and we’re so thankful for all those who helped,” said Girard.
Participants in fundraising campaigns, like Students of the Year, are helping LLS make an impact on the lives of cancer patients, not someday, but today. LLS is leading the charge in exploring new paths to cures and treatments, with almost 300 cutting-edge research projects underway, many in the promising new areas of immunotherapy and personalized medicine. In addition to finding blood cancer cures, many of the treatments LLS has helped fund are now helping patients with other cancers and chronic diseases.
