Community Corner

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Westchester/Hudson Valley Names Honorees

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter recently raised nearly $500,000 for the fight against Leukemia and Lymphoma.

The following announcement of its 2014 Man & Woman of the Year is from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter:

A blood cancer survivor and a dynamic team of ladies are the winners of this year’s Man & Woman of the Year Awards for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter. LLS announced the awards at its Grand Finale Celebration on May 16th at the DoubleTree Hotel in Tarrytown. The event capped a ten-week campaign that raised nearly $500,000.

The winners are Matthew Campbell, formerly of Pelham and Team Today, lead by Dr. Christina Veit of Briarcliff Manor and Reina Sinni of Dobbs Ferry. The titles of Man and Woman of the Year go to the male and female participants who are the highest fundraisers. The spirited fundraising period began in March, and every dollar raised counts as one “vote”. Proceeds go to help LLS fund research to find cures and better therapies for blood cancer, while providing information and support to blood cancer patients and their families. Campbell and Team Today will now have a chance to compete for the LLS Man & Woman of the Year National Title, which will be awarded to the top fundraisers in the country this summer.

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Campbell was diagnosed with non-hodgkin lymphoma over twenty years ago and overcame the disease after a battle that lasted three years. Soon after, he became involved with LLS as a member of the Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter’s Board of Trustees, where he now serves as Vice Chairman. He has also been a participant in several other LLS events. Campbell, currently lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine with his wife and four children, after being a longtime Pelham resident. He works as Portfolio Manager for Laridae Capital.

Dr. Christina Veit and Reina Sinni are close friends who formed Team Today because they both have witnessed the devastating effects of cancer. Sinni, an Equities Trader at G2 Trading in New York City, lost a five-year-old sister to leukemia. Dr. Veit, who specializes in the field of Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology in her Westchester-area practice, has cared for expectant mothers undergoing cancer treatments. Together, the two ladies hope their campaign will help fund research that brings cures to both children and adults.

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“Congratulations to our winners, and to all of our candidates and campaign teams who participated this year”, said Dennis Chillemi, Chapter Executive Director. “They are all passionate and determined individuals, and leaders in their communities. Their efforts really go far in bringing access and cures to patients and their families, not someday, but today. They are all true Champions of Hope.”

Eleven candidates competed in the Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter’s Man & Woman of the Year campaign this year, the most in chapter history. The competition is held in honor of LLS’s Boy and Girl of the Year, local children who are blood cancer survivors and sources of inspiration to others. The 2014 Boy of the Year is thirteen-year-old Danny van Shaik of Suffern, NY. The Girl of the Year is ten-year-old Samantha Molinelli of Warwick, NY.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ® (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. 


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