ÇàÔÆÌåÓý

1. You are the heart, soul, and voice of the ÇàÔÆÌåÓý community. 

Not only do you help patients and their families feel seen, heard, and connected, you are elevating and expanding awareness of in your community and beyond. Maybe you’ve participated in a peer-to-peer campaign like , or Student Visionaries of the Year, or in one or more of our . You might serve as a patient support or community outreach volunteer, or as a national board member or regional board of trustee, touching lives in so many ways. Maybe you raise your voice for patients and families as a or Ambassador. Or perhaps you’ve been an ÇàÔÆÌåÓý intern or provided general office or project support to one of our regions—or helped out in any number of other ways. No matter what your role, ÇàÔÆÌåÓý could not do its lifesaving work without you.

2. You are driving groundbreaking progress for patients and families. 

ÇàÔÆÌåÓý was founded by volunteers, and for more than 75 years, volunteers like you have been critical in helping us fund $1.8 Billion in research for game changing treatments. Your efforts also help us provide free education and services to thousands of patients and families annually, and advance landmark new policies enabling patients to access innovative care. Together, we’ve driven extraordinary progress for patients.  And we’re only just beginning!

3. You are helping us reach our Bold Goal. 

ÇàÔÆÌåÓý is in a unique position to see clearly how far we’ve come, how far we have yet to go, and how we can get there faster. That’s the reason for our bold goal. With your help we know we will accelerate the current pace of discovery, expand patient resources, and improve access to care—beyond what we’ve already achieved together. We will add, in aggregate, more than one million years of life by 2040. That means more birthdays, more celebrations, more cherished memories with family and friends.

4. You go above and beyond for our mission. 

I know each of you has your own reason for getting involved with our organization, just as I became an ÇàÔÆÌåÓý volunteer after my wife Holly was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in 2007. Whatever your motivation or personal connection, it’s the fuel that powers you and drives progress for patients. I feel it when I meet longstanding volunteers, always up for the next campaign; or new volunteers, who have barely finished one ÇàÔÆÌåÓý event, and are signing up for another. And then, there are the families grieving the loss of a loved one, yet willing to tell their stories over and over to help drive change for others. It’s that generosity of heart and spirit that make ÇàÔÆÌåÓý volunteers so special, and so valued.  

5. You inspire me, and others. 

Your dedication to making a difference for blood cancer patients and their families is the spark that drives me and all of us at ÇàÔÆÌåÓý to do more…to go further. You are igniting a sense of purpose in your networks and community too. One of the best parts of working for ÇàÔÆÌåÓý is meeting you at our events across the nation. I’ve been able to greet so many of you at regional receptions, galas, and Visionaries grand finales. I’ve been honored to lift my Light The Night lantern with you, or walk the halls of Congress together on Lobby Days as we advocate for policies that improve access to care. I’ve conquered Big Climb alongside many of you, and as I get ready for America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe in June, I’ve joined training rides with ÇàÔÆÌåÓý volunteers from coast to coast. ÇàÔÆÌåÓý’s Executive Leadership Team is inspired by you too!  Our Chief Financial Officer J.R. Miller will scale Machu Pichu in June’s  and Chief Medical Officer Gwen Nichols will be pedaling with ÇàÔÆÌåÓý volunteers in July’s And talk about inspirational, this year’s ÇàÔÆÌåÓý National Volunteer Awardees—Luz Gomez, Sarah Carrasco, and Amy Nesbit—are driving transformational impact, and you can read more about them in the box below.

Thank you all for rallying around the ÇàÔÆÌåÓý mission. We celebrate you and we’re grateful for you. Together we’re changing the lives of blood cancer patients and their families every day. I can’t wait to see what else we will achieve, united in action, as we make strides toward our bold goal.