Pennies by Roman Oleinik (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Raising Pennies for Patients

Do you know someone who has had a blood cancer? Chances are, if you do, they may have been helped by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. One person is diagnosed every three minutes with blood cancer. Another 171,550 are expected to be diagnosed in 2016 according to the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society.

Christina Szilvassy, campaign assistant for Pennies for Patients, says the society began in 1949. Its mission is to find a cure for blood cancer. It supports families and patients fighting cancer by assisting them with co-pays and travel programs.

Pennies for Patients began to involve more of the community and reach students. “This year we have 500 plus schools participating,” says Szilvassy. Schools can register to commit to a fundraiser coin drive. Szilvassy also says schools participate in walk-a-thons, dollar days, movie nights, dodge ball games and online fundraising. The money is used for patient services and research.

Kids can help someone who has blood cancer by getting involved in the Pennies for Patients Program, says Szilvassy. You can find out more at Lls.org.

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