December 8th, 2018, marks the beginning of an almost three-month journey for Allie Borges of the Netherlands, Ms. Culture Galaxy 2019 as a member of Team Hope.
Team Hope, headed by Margot Sonia, a freshman at Nashoba Regional High School, will compete in the 2019 Student(s) of the Year (SOY) campaign against other teams in Massachusetts. SOY is a seven-week initiative in which select high school students from around the country participate to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).
The LLS mission is to 'cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.' LLS funds approximately 300 active research projects, invests more than $1.2 billion in cancer research and provides free information and support services for patients in all stages of cancer. In addition to raising money to benefit LLS, participants in SOY learn professional skills including networking, financial planning and public speaking, while increasing awareness of blood cancers like leukemia, the most common form of cancer in children and teens.
Each year SOY chooses an Honored Hero, a child to represent the thousands of patients who have been helped by LLS's research and patient support program. The 2019 SOY Boston Honored Hero is Jaden, a 14 year-old diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia last year. Jaden (Photo below) was previously very active in basketball, soccer, flag football, chorus and theater. Following the first year of her chemo treatment, her energy level is improving, and she has recently been inducted into the Fitchburg State Women's Basketball Team, attending practices and games as their 'Lucky Charm.'
Allie and Margot have their own special connection to LLS, as this year their extended martial arts family lost Eliana Rouleau (Photo below) at the age of 14 months to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A social butterfly, Eliana's battle with AML was publicly shared through social media, including her daily adventures, milestones and changes in her medical status and treatment. Throughout her short life, Eliana touched the lives of so many, even complete strangers, and she will forever live on in their memories. With fundraising amounts in excess of $50,000, Team Hope will be able to establish a research grant in Eliana's name.
Fundraising efforts begin January 17th and conclude on March 1st at the Grand Finale Gala. All donations are greatly appreciated and tax deductible. On behalf of blood cancer patients and their families everywhere, thank you for your support!
For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org.
Beating cancer is in our blood!
(Photo Courtesy: Allie Borges / Leukemia & Lymphoma Society / Nashoba Regional High School / Margot Sonia / "Jaden" / Firefly Photography)
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