Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) is an organization at Decatur High School (DHS) that strives to implement the voices and resources students have to help save lives. The campaign at DHS was dedicated to a teacher at the school (who would prefer to remain anonymous) as well as one of the team member’s grandfather, who is currently fighting Multiple Myeloma. With the money raised from LLS, patients battling cancer will be able to pay for their life-saving treatments. Emily Silver, the leader of LLS at DHS said, “We knew that we could make a difference, and wanted to apply our strength to something that could make a real impact.”
In addition to weekly emails sent out asking for donations, Silver has had to coordinate planning fundraisers, keeping members engaged, and securing corporate sponsorships. Recent fundraisers that took place at school were the Rose for Recovery and Pancake Breakfast. These fundraisers helped in raising funds for this important cause but additionally raising awareness for LLS and its mission.
The team at DHS consisting of 11 members was able to raise over $50,000, and to commemorate this amazing accomplishment, team candidates and selected team members attended a gala on Saturday, February 24. The Gala celebrated their success and the cumulative $2.3 million made from the campaign as a whole.
Perseverance was a key factor in this process, leading them to achieve their end goal. “With only 2 weeks left, we were not even halfway to our goal, but we didn’t give up,” Silver said. Despite being pressed for time, Silver and her team continued emailing in search of further donations. In the last day alone they secured a corporate sponsorship and raised over $3,000.
“A lot of the time it can feel like we aren’t in the position to do something with real weight, but LLS is proof that your age does not dictate your impact,” Silver said.
