The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area Chapter Announces Local 2019 Man & Woman of the Year Winners

MONTEREY BAY AREA, Calif., July 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A Carmel woman and a Monterey man have been named the winners of this year's Man & Woman of the Year Campaign presented by Scheid Family Wines and Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. The campaign is a part of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area chapter.

The two winners, John Romley of Monterey, and Nancy Whitman of Carmel, raised $104,500 and $64,448 respectively, to support LLS's goal to find cures for blood cancers and ensure that patients have access to lifesaving treatments. In addition to John and Nancy's fundraising, all the Man, Woman & Students of the Year candidates and Honorary Team Driscoll's collectively raised over $301,000!

Congratulations to all the Man, Woman & Student of the Year candidates including John Romley, Nancy Whitman, Brett Young, Megumi Reagan, David Webb, Monica Karst, Dominic Nale, Kolby Gooder, Angelina Lopez, Erica Estamo and Christine Pagtama.

During a spirited 10 week fundraising period, candidates compete in honor of a local boy and girl who are blood cancer survivors, to raise the most funds to ensure a world without blood cancers. This year's Boy of the Year was 8 year old Julian Castillo of Salinas and the Girl of the Year was 7 year old Giselle Contreras of San Jose.

Candidates and their campaign teams were judged solely on fundraising success, each dollar counting as one vote. The Monterey Bay Area winners were announced on June 1, 2019 at the Grand Finale celebration hosted at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa. Their totals will be considered for the national title. Candidates in each LLS chapter across the country vie for the local title, and the highest fundraisers earn the title of National Man & Woman of the Year. The national titles will be awarded to the top fundraisers in the country, to be announced this summer. 

John Romley led his Team Fore a Cure in a lively and fun-filled campaign in memory of his grandmother Nina Rowe who passed earlier this year from Lymphoma, and his friend Connor Beeman who is battling Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Nancy Whitman led her Team Elevation in a heart-filled and enthusiastic campaign and is grateful for her nomination as it has personally given her a way to heal from the loss of friend (and past LLS Woman of the Year) Heather MacRae and her mother in law, Brig Whitman, due to cancer.

"Congratulations to our winners, and to all of our candidates and campaign team members who participated in this year's Man & Woman of the Year campaign," said Jeff Scanlan, LLS Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area Executive Director. "These exceptional volunteers are all passionate and determined individuals, and leaders in their communities. Together, we are getting closer to LLS's goal of a world without blood cancer." 

This event would not be what it is without the generous support of the local sponsors. LLS is thankful to partner with Scheid Family Wines, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, MediaLocate, Las Animas Concrete, Century 21 M&M Associates, Cassia Foret, Church Brothers Farms and AT&T who show that the Monterey Bay Area community is committed to the fight against cancer.

LLS is the world's leading non-profit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding cures for blood cancers and ensuring that patients have access to lifesaving treatments. Every nine minutes someone in the U.S. dies of a blood cancer. Through programs like Man & Woman of the Year, LLS has invested more than $1.3 billion in research to advance breakthrough therapies. In the last 18 months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 39 therapies to treat patients with blood cancers, including some entirely new agents and some new uses for already approved drugs. The funds raised through LLS's Man & Woman of the Year are used for:

• Research to advance targeted therapies and immunotherapies that are saving thousands of lives;
• Blood cancer information, education and support for patients;
• Policies that ensure patients have access to blood cancer treatments.

Visit the Man & Woman of the Year website (www.mwoy.org) and learn how you can become engaged with LLS.

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, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

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

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SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area Chapter