(Long Island, NY) On March 23, at 12:01am, eight dedicated individuals and their campaign teams will be kicking off an intense ten-week fundraising competition: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Man & Woman of the Year campaign. Flushing Bank is the official presenting sponsor of the 2016 campaign, and is proud to support Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maria Grasso in her candidacy. Every dollar raised will count as one ‘vote’, and the man and woman whose teams earns the most ‘votes’ will earn the titles of Man & Woman of the Year at the conclusion of the campaign.
LLS was founded out of one family’s grief after Robert Roesler de Villiers quickly succumbed to leukemia at the age of 16 in 1944. At that time, leukemia was 100% fatal, with most patients, especially children, passing away within three months of diagnosis. For 68 years, LLS has relentlessly carried on the de Villiers family’s mission of finding a cure for blood cancers and improving the quality of life of patients and their families.
Today, with LLS’s support of critical research, the survival rate for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, has risen to over 90%. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of 20. Since its inception, LLS has invested more than $1 billion in research internationally to fund a cure, with $67.2 million invested in fiscal year 2015 alone.
This year’s Man & Woman of the Year candidates have a collective goal of raising more than $500,000 to support LLS’s efforts. All have their own personal reasons for taking part in the campaign, but they are also running in honor of the 2016 Boy & Girl of the Year: Jake Ritter, age 10, and Olivia Macchio, age 8. Both children are lymphoma survivors thanks to research advances made possible, in part, with LLS funding.
The 2016 Man & Woman of the Year candidates are:
- Eric Bencivenga, Edward Jones
- Stacey Dorce
- Maria Grasso, Flushing Bank
- Marie Goldstein, 360i
- Eric Mitchnick, M.D., North Shore Urology
- Tony Makrides, Patterson Dental
- Connie Robins, Northwell Health
- Marc Schneider, Schneider & Mitola
- Lauren Sharaby, SUNY Stony Brook
“LLS congratulates and thanks all of the candidates in the 2016 Man & Woman of the Year campaign. Each of them will be using their passion and determination to raise funds that give thousands of people battling blood cancers the chance to live better, longer lives,” said Sara Lipsky, Executive Director of the Long Island Chapter.
All involved in the campaign are looking forward to the Grand Finale Gala on June 2 at which time the Man & Woman of the Year for Long island will be announced. There will also be a silent auction, open bar, sit down dinner, & celebrating! To purchase Gala tickets or to learn more about Man & Woman of the Year and LLS, please contact Jennifer Taggart, 631.370.7557 or JenniferAnne.Taggart@lls.org.
The mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. Our key priorities will ensure that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society helps blood cancer patients live better, longer lives.
