Inside a 10-week mission to end cancer

When I accepted my nomination for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year campaign, I knew that it would be a lot of work. But, I don’t think I was prepared for how much I would really be affected by it.

Setting out to raise $100,000 has been humbling, inspiring, and exciting. But, it’s also been stressful. I don’t think I understood how overwhelming parts of the campaign might be. The cause means so much to me that I have become somewhat obsessed with succeeding at reaching our goal. This week has really been an eye opener for me in terms of defining what “success” is when it comes to this campaign.

In many ways, we have already succeeded. Each dollar we raise helps beat cancer, and each person that we reach helps spread awareness about the importance of doing what we can to support organizations that are fighting cancer.

We had our first big event last weekend, the Fight Cancer Bash in Orangeburg. The event was absolutely incredible. Despite the fact that there were a few other fundraisers in the area that night, we had a great turnout with incredibly generous people in attendance. I was so amazed by how many people volunteered their time, donated funds on top of their ticket price, and donated items to be auctioned off. Beth DeCourcey even gave back her winnings from the 50/50! A great high school friend of mine, Michelle Florio, stopped by to donate cookies from her business (follow her on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Perfectionist-Pastrist/148037435237627?fref=ts) and several people who could not make the event stopped by beforehand to buy raffle tickets and make donations. We also danced until 1am thanks to the incredible music talents of Roddy Harrington and Paul Doran! Rockland never ceases to amaze me!

Events like last Saturday are such an unbelievable reminder of how rewarding this campaign can be. No matter how much work any part of the campaign is, it is always worth it at the end of the day. When I look at Francesco, his brothers, and his parents, I am reminded of how much they have been through in the past 2 years and feel silly for being overwhelmed by anything. Having both the Galvanos and the Pennisis as a part of this campaign has made every single moment worth it.

I’ve also been so incredibly surprised by the support the 2013 Boy & Girl of the Year and their families have shown me. In fact, both DJ and Daniya will be traveling all the way from Queens to speak at our Cancer Survivor Luncheon next week! The Luncheon will be a really inspirational event where we will celebrate all cancer survivors and remember those we have lost to this terrible disease. We have some amazing guest speakers in store to share their stories, including Michael Lawler, a 2005 graduate of Suffern High School. For more information on the luncheon and to purchase tickets, please visit http://cancersurvivorluncheon.splashthat.com. Tickets are $50 and will also be sold at the door. The event will be Sunday, April 21st from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the OBT Pub (325 Route 303). We will also be doing something special to honor all of the cancer survivors in attendance, so please let anyone you know who has affected by cancer in any way that we would love to have them. 

Before I end this week’s blog, I need to also take a moment to thank all of you for your support. Almost every day, I get a special donation from people that I haven’t spoken to in years and even people that I’ve never met. Reading those notes of encouragement and feeling that support is such an inspiration to me. Every little bit really does help and I know that with a community like ours, we will certainly be able to raise $100,000 as a part of this campaign!

*Please feel free to get in touch with me at megan.quail@gmail.com. We have also just completed our new website so that people can follow our campaign! Please visit it at www.leukin4cure.webs.com!