Pearl River Native Nominated for Charity Award

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Willa Sheridan graduated from Pearl River High School in 2006, but her fundraising efforts will be evident there most of this month.

Sheridan organized a "Pennies for Patients" program that began Monday and will run through April 27 to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Each homeroom at the high school will have a box to collect coins.

"When we were in high school, we did it for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society," Sheridan said. "This is a great way to bring it back, the coin drive. Everybody brings in their spare change from home. We will give the winning homeroom a breakfast party. It's a fun competition. It is a great way to ring everybody together and inform the town about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society."

That is one of two fundraisers Sheridan and her team organized in Pearl River this month as part of her 10-week campaign to raise $30,000 for blood cancer research and awareness, which began March 8 and runs through May 17.

Sheridan is one of 13 men and women in a competition for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) New York Chapter's Man & Woman of the Year (MWOY). Each has committed to raising at least $20,000 and the top fundraiser will win the award.

"It's a friendly competition," Sheridan said. "They say whoever wins, cancer loses. That's what we keep in mind. We get to know what other people are doing and get ideas how to succeed in fundraising."

Sheridan was nominated due to her volunteer work with Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides assistance for children who are seriously ill or injured and their families.

"I volunteer with a friend at work at Ronald McDonald House," Sheridan said. "We volunteer three times a month. We go and cook dinner for families.

"Seeing these families, seeing what these kids, infants and children, how tough their life is, everything they do is a struggle. The physical and mental strain they go through, it made me want to do more than cook dinner for them."

Sheridan said she developed a campaign team to help her with organizing events, making contacts and brainstorming ideas.

One thing she did already was a March Madness pool. Aside from the strong response, she got an added boost when the winners donated their money to the campaign. 

In addition to the coin drive at Pearl River High School, Sheridan will be running an event called "The Cancer Bash" Saturday, April 28 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Pearl River Elks Club. There will be live music by The Noyes and Roddy Harrington as well as food and cocktails, raffles and a silent auction. Tickets will be sold at the door for $60.

For more information or to donate, visit Sheridan's web page here.