Eleven Local Men and Woman Raise Over $400,000 for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Rhode Island Chapter Man and Woman of the Year Campaign.

Winners of the 2014 Campaign Announced
Newport, Rhode Island - The Rhode Island Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) wrapped up its 2014 Man & Woman of the Year competition on May 17, with  a Grand Finale in Newport with Amanda Leonardo of North Providence and Brewer Rowe of Newport, coming out victorious in this 10-week fundraising competition.

Both the Man and Woman of the Year, Brewer, the Director of Special Events for the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Amanda, Co-Host of the Cat Country Morning Show for Hall Communications, together  raised over $200,000 in is 10-week campaign.

Community leaders competed for the national title of Man & Woman of the Year, an honor surrounded with a great deal of fanfare, including a full-page ad in USA Today, but the most important reason candidates participated was for families like this year’s Boy and Girl of the Year, Cameron who is 11 years old and from Exeter, and Georgia, who is 12 years old and from North Kingstown. Cameron and Georgia are local children who are survivors of blood cancers and who are sources of inspiration. Every dollar raised counted as one “vote.” The male and female candidates with the most “votes” were awarded the title of 2014 Man & Woman of the Year.

The money raised by candidates over the ten week period is used by LLS to fund research seeking cures and better therapies, and to provide information and support so that patients have the best possible outcomes throughout their cancer experience.

“We are thrilled to announce our 2014 Winners. Congratulations to Brewer and Amanda as well as our Runners-Up Billy Turrell, of Alex and Ani and Amy Diaz, Winner of the Amazing Race  Season 23, 2009 Miss Earth United States, 2008 Miss Rhode Island USA. Even though there are winners, it is the collective total of the entire 11 candidates that is truly amazing. Over $400,000 raised in RI for blood cancer research and patient services program is amazing. What a wonderful group of candidates!” said Bill Koconis, the Rhode Island Chapter’s Executive Director. “We cannot express enough how lucky we are to have such amazing volunteers associated with the LLS. We could not do any of this without them.”

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®, headquartered in White Plains, NY, is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. LLS has a local Patient Services Manager in 68 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. For additional information, please contact LLS at (800) 955-4572 or visit www.LLS.org.