It Takes a Village: Thousands of Volunteers Join Campaign to Help Competing Candidates Raise Millions to Create a World Without Blood Cancer

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How do you cure cancer?  You volunteer. A new survey by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), Giving and Getting Back: Volunteering in America, shows on average, three out of four people agree that giving time, giving money and actively participating in fundraising events are the most effective ways to support a charitable cause. For 10 weeks, in more than 80 cities across the country, 825 dedicated community leaders volunteer their time and energy to compete locally to win the prestigious national title of LLS's Man & Woman of the Year (MWOY). This flagship fundraising campaign that has raised $184 million in its 26-year history - $32 million last year alone - to help LLS invest more than $1 billion in research to advance breakthrough treatments and cures for blood cancer patients.  

According to leading fundraising campaign expert and LLS Executive Vice President, Andrew Coccari, "The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man & Woman of the Year (MWOY) campaign is truly unique in the world of charity fundraising.  We are tapping into the competitive spirit and passion of influencers who are leveraging their networks and raising the bar with creative approaches to fundraising, such clay shooting tournaments, karaoke, fashion shows and golf tournaments."

The men and women competing this year will aim to top last year's total; they all feel a sense of urgency to up the ante to help the more than 1 million Americans living with or in remission from a blood cancer. They understand that, while much progress has been made to fight blood cancers, there is still work to be done - one third of patients don't live more than five years after they are diagnosed with a blood cancer, and blood cancers are the third leading cause of cancer death in the US, after cancers of the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract.

Today, LLS celebrates these exceptional volunteer leaders as they vie for the national title of Man & Woman of the Year. The 2016 candidates are featured in an advertisement found in USA Today.

LLS is the world's leading non-profit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding cures for blood cancers and ensuring that patients have access to lifesaving treatments.  The most successful MWOY candidates have something in common – they have a team of volunteers to support them. Campaign teams consist of friends, families and co-workers who assist with fundraising ideas and events during an intense 10-week campaign. This year, 3,990 of campaign team members have volunteered to send letters and emails to their friends, identify potential sponsors, and solicit auction items – all which benefit a candidate's campaign.

"Running as a candidate for Man of the Year was one of the most enriching and humbling experiences of my life," said Cameron Fay, 2015 Man of the Year candidate. "Enriching because it allowed me to reconnect with many friends, old and new, and share my story and reason for raising funds for this worthy cause. And humbling because through these connections, stories and experiences were reciprocated back to me, allowing me to see the full scope of devastation this disease has caused."

About Man & Woman of the Year

MWOY candidates across the country compete in honor of a local boy and girl who are blood cancer survivors, to raise the most funds for blood cancer research. Every dollar counts as one vote, and the titles are awarded to the man and woman with the most votes at the end of the campaign. The top local fundraisers in the country win the national titles.

Past participants will show their star power by competing again in The Man & Woman competition as All Stars. The "All Star" program will provide an opportunity for select MWOY Alumni to represent their local campaign nationally by using their talents, contacts and creativity to raise funds to help advance the LLS mission. This year's 15 All Stars come from across the country with representation from every corner of the U.S.

Visit the MWOY website (www.mwoy.org) to support a candidate and learn how you can become engaged with LLS.

Survey Methodology

The survey was conducted online for LLS by Russell Research from December 18 - 21, 2015 among 1,022 adults ages 18 and older, including 586 adults who have donated their time in the past year. The margin of error was +/- 3.1 percentage points overall and +/- 4.0% among those who have donated their time.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

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, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

Kristin Hoose
914-821-8973
[email protected]

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Related Links

http://www.LLS.org