Westlake High School’s Team Hope has once again proven the power of student leadership and community support. They absolutely crushed it this year during the annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Student Visionaries of the Year program by raising a jaw-dropping $67,479. The money raised will make a lasting impact, going directly towards cancer research, patient support, and saving lives. Their efforts were part of a larger movement. Along with 32 other high schools in the Cleveland area, a total of $1,416,279 was raised—a record-breaking amount for the Cleveland Student Visionaries of the Year program.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money and spreading awareness for blood cancer, as well as providing support for those affected by the disease. Thanks to LLS, patients have access to better healthcare, financial support, and resources to aid them during their battle. But they don’t stop at helping patients—they also help scientists by funding research to develop new and improved treatments. One of their more unique approaches is giving students the chance to get involved through programs like the Student Visionaries of the Year, where high schoolers step up as leaders and team members to run fundraisers and other events to make a difference in their community. Each year, a group of high school teams compete during a seven-week timeframe to see who raises the most money. At the end of the campaign, everybody gathers for a grand finale to celebrate their efforts and hard work, during which the winners are announced and awards are given.
This is Team Hope’s second year of participating in the Student Visionaries of the Year. Last year, they raised $30,168. From fundraising events to matching gifts, through hard work and dedication, they managed to not only surpass that amount this year, but more than doubled it, achieving an incredible 123.68% increase in donations. It wasn’t an easy process for the team members. One of their most rewarding tactics was their raffle baskets. They reached out to companies and businesses, who donated various items, such as gift cards and merchandise. Team Hope used these to create nine raffle baskets. They mainly sold the raffle tickets at Westlake High School during basketball games, in addition to fundraisers at restaurants, sponsorships, matching events, and more.
Aside from raising money, being a part of Team Hope also helped students develop various skills, such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and empathy. It was truly an exciting process, to be able to give back to the community and be a part of something bigger than oneself.
Last year, Kaovya Vel was the sole leader of Team Hope. This year, her friend Allison Granzier stepped into a larger role, obtaining a leadership position alongside Kaovya. Together, they took on the many responsibilities of being LLS visionaries with determination. Congratulations to the two of them for their outstanding efforts and achievements! They would like to thank their parents, team members, and campaign development manager Savannah Drdek for the never ending support.
