In Loveland, students have garnered some extremely diverse and positive communities that work together to bring light to certain underground organizations that need help garnering more attention. An example of this is the continued fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) which specializes in finding ways for patients and their families to manage their lives while dealing with blood cancer.
The LLS helps blood cancer patients and their loved ones to have community-based support through conversations with survivors of similar diseases and cancer professionals alongside researching for cures and treatments.
In the Ohio River Valley, the LLS provides people the opportunity to talk to others in organized patient support programs and communities. Some of these programs include family support groups, video calls with other patients or people in a similar position, and the honored hero program, which allows people to provide inspiration and support for fundraising. Alongside this support that the LLS provides, they also have a financial assistance program that can help families in need who are dealing with blood cancer.
Christine Lothrop, a continued volunteer and contributor to the LLS, shared with The Roar that she was first introduced to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society when her youngest daughter, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with “acute lymphoblastic leukemia at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.” She was told that the LLS was one of the most reliable sources for families and patients dealing with similar diagnoses. She also shared that her first involvement with the society was in October 2009 during the Light the Night (LTN) walk where volunteers walk in the dark with lanterns to honor cancer patients which raised more than $25,000 for LLS that year.
At the beginning of her involvement, Lothrop “helped teams set up for fundraising, held corporate meetings asking for support through LTN sponsorships,” where companies would host events to raise money for LLS. Now, Lothrop hosts two major fundraisers each year, one being a golf outing and the other is hosted at her house. Combined, these events helped to raise $35,000 per year for the LLS in memory of Elizabeth who always said, “there has to be a better way.”
There are countless ways to get involved or volunteer for LLS since “volunteers are a huge reason why this organization is so successful,” according to Lothrop. On top of that, an extra 78 cents of every dollar donated to LLS goes back to cancer research because “they are truly committed to finding a cure and a better way for these patients to live their lives” while still dealing with cancer and the trauma it may bring.
Not only can you learn more about this organization and what it focuses on, but you can also participate by sharing personal stories, creating artwork for patients, writing letters, or simply attending fundraising events to spread the word about a good cause. This can be an easy and effective way to earn volunteer hours while also working to help raise money for a cure for blood cancer.
To make a donation or learn more about the LLS, you can visit their website at https://www.lls.org/ which gives a brief rundown of all the ways to get involved with this important organization.