Sara Morris Photography

Hello blog world! It’s starting to feel like Spring here, and I am anxious to get out and about! This Spring is also kicking off a new adventure for me. Usually it’s Thailand, Vietnam, or some other distant land, but this year I decided to keep the adventure close to home and close to my heart. I am honored to say that I am a candidate for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Woman of the Year campaign for 2012. Last year I served as the campaign manager for my dear friend, Julie Currise. I found the 10-week campaign to be both inspiring and heartwarming. I made new friends who are also compassionate about finding a cure for blood cancers, and reconnected with old friends who I had not known had been affected by the diseases. LLS has a way of bonding people together.

When I was 12 years old, my mom lost a long, hard fight to Lymphoma. She and my father gave it their all, but in the end Lymphoma won. I have a hard time remembering all of the details from that time period, but I can still feel the strength, courage and love that she possessed. I have spent years wondering what thoughts were going through her head, and have even been angry at times wishing she had written me a letter. It wasn’t until last year that I fully understood what she must have been going through. Looking into the eyes of my little boy every night, it is hard to imagine knowing that I wouldn’t see him grow up to go to college, marry the love of his life, and become a father himself. There just aren’t words for that, and I know that now. Life is very precious.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is funding research for cures and helping patients as well as their families. This is an organization that is doing the right things with the dollars it raises, and I’m proud to be associated with it. In addition to helping local patients and families through patient assistance, educational endeavors, and family support groups, the funds raised are distributed to top research projects nationwide that are working on finding a cure every day. In 2011, Indiana residents received more than $1,000,000 in financial support alone.

I was very fortunate to have a strong family and friend support system throughout my growing years and I have many of you to thank for that. In reality, that is not the case for everyone. Cancer is a very scary place, and LLS does an amazing job with educating and providing support for both patients and families. That is one of my favorite aspects of the organization. My campaign to be the Woman of the Year is all about dollars raised. Every dollar I raise is a vote for me and a vote to cure cancer. I am asking you today to join me in this ambitious campaign. I have until May 11, 2012 to reach my goal of $75,000 raised. I will be hosting various local activities throughout the 10 week campaign, and will also be blogging about my journey and progress. Be sure to check back here for updates and announcements!

To donate, you can go to the campaign website and make your contribution there: http://in.mwoy.llsevent.org/sara

You can also purchase tickets or tables to the final gala on May 11th where the Woman of the Year will be announced. I am currently looking for corporate sponsors. If your company, or one you know of likes to contribute to different causes, please let me know. There are many levels of sponsorship available.

Finally, I’d ask you to reach out to others you know and ask them to do the same. I have found that so many of the people I talk to about my campaign have a connection to blood cancer and want to support our efforts. Please feel free to forward this on to others who may be interested in learning about the cause. And, whether it’s donating or spreading the word, thank you for helping me on my quest to find a cure for blood cancers, and to keep mothers, fathers and children together longer.

Thank You!
Sara