March 29, 2024

Students raise money to help beat cancer

TRURO — Students at Interstate 35 Community School raised an astonishing $4,046.63 recently to help fund blood-cancer research and provide help and hope to thousands of patients and their families through The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Pennies for Patient’s program. The society would like to thank not only the school, but the community as well for all their support.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society gave the Iowa chapter a budgeted goal of 220 schools for the program. That is, it had a goal of recruiting only 220 out of the over 2,000 educational centers this year. It successfully met and surpassed the goal, recruiting 289 schools; the highest rate of participation for Iowa in the history of the Pennies for Patients program.

Out of those 289 schools, only five surpassed the $4,000 mark, becoming a Champion for Change school. If every school in Iowa accomplished what Interstate 35 School District accomplished, there is no doubt that we would be much closer to finding a cure for blood cancer. Interstate 35 is one of Iowa’s top leaders in the fight against cancer.

“Thanks to research, nearly 90 percent of children with acute leukemia are now cured,” said Melanie Brown, executive director of LLS’s Iowa Chapter. “But, there still is a long way to go. Leukemia affects more children than any other cancer, so LLS’s school and youth programs provide a meaningful way for kids to help kids. Every penny really does make a difference.”

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 and provides free information and support services.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. www.lls.org.