Thursday, March 19, 2015

LLS is looking for the Man and Woman of the Year

The North Texas Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is introducing a new event to the social scene. Man and Woman of the Year (MWOY) will have nine candidates competing against each other in a 10-week fundraising blitz that includes a letter writing campaign, sponsorship, and unique fundraising events.

"Throughout the 10 weeks, each candidate will host events and motivate their networks to raise money for blood cancer research. The man and woman who raise the most money will be named as the local Man and Woman of the Year and go on to compete for national honors." says Patricia Thomson, Executive Director of the LLS North Texas Chapter.

The male and female candidates that raise the most money at the end of the 10-week campaign will be named the North Texas Man and the Woman of the Year. The inaugural MWOY class in North Texas is strong with representatives from a number of different industries and backgrounds based in North Texas.

2015 Man and Woman of the Year Candidates

This inaugural group includes:
  1. Larry Anderson, Jr., M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Sammons Cancer Center – Dallas 
  2. Stuart Boslow, Television Executive 
  3. Mia Caldwell, Hematology/Oncology Consultant, Celgene Corporation 
  4. Kim Carter, Vice President, Operations and Sales, The Dean’s List 
  5. Gina Cook, General Manager, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse 
  6. Keith Pearson, CEO, Pearson Partners International 
  7. Erin Ragsdale, Senior Vice President, Allyn Media 
  8. Imran Sheikh, US Director, AfterShock London 
  9. Saadia Sheikh, Senior Vice President, eSmith Realty 

This year’s fundraising is in honor of two patient heroes, the 2015 Boy and Girl of the Year: Bennett Williams and Julia Brown (pictured above). The campaign will begin and end with two elegant events: the kickoff celebration will be on Thursday, March 26th at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel and the Grand Finale Gala will be on May 30th at the Westin Galleria, both in Dallas, TX. 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. For more information, contact Emile Blaine at (972) 996-5932 or visit www.mwoy.org/ntx

Top photo: Kristy Wassenaar, Kimberly Alexander, Imran Sheikh, Kim Carter, Julia Brown, Bennett Williams
Bottom photo: Erin Ragsdale, Dr. Larry Anderson, Gina Cook, Imran Sheikh, Kim Carter, Keith Pearson, Mai Caldwell, Stuart Boslow, Saadia Sheikh. Photos provided by LLS.