What A Weekend: Join Us

It's only Monday but we are looking ahead to a wild and crazy weekend for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in North Texas.  There are a number of exciting events happening and you are invited to attend each and every one!

SATURDAY

This Saturday morning is the last open training for the SPRUMMER season for Team In Training (TNT).  What is opening training?  It is a chance to preview a typical training with TNT without any commitment.  Meet your potential future TEAM members, your coaches and staff person and get an idea of what the next 12-14 weeks would entail.  There are a number of training locations so contact your local staff to find the sport and training location closest to you.

Kelsey Thompson, the LLS Patient Access Manager at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas, is one of the presenters at Baylor's Super Saturday.  The session runs from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  The topic is "I Didn't Budget for Cancer" and will be led by Ryan Groce, a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual.  He will discuss the impact cancer has on your finances, provide a budgeting tool and suggest questions you should ask throughout the process.  Registration for this event is required,

Ivie & Associates, the Big D Climb Presenting Sponsor, is hosting their Annual Rock for the Climb fundraiser this Saturday at Love & War In Texas at the Grapevine location.  This family friendly event is open to all LLS supporters and proceeds will benefit the Big D Climb.  Tickets are available for purchase at the door.

SUNDAY

The North Texas Chapter is launching the inaugural Student of the Year campaign this Sunday at the Allen American's Hockey game.  Come celebrate the new fundraising program and meet the candidates at the 4:00 p.m. game.  Click here to purchase your tickets and $4 of every ticket will support the Student of the Year candidates.  Contact Paige Wiebler if you would like more information.

Schools participating in the Student Series program can also raise funds for their efforts by purchasing tickets to this event.  $4 of each of the tickets purchased under a specific school's name will be credited back to its fundraising.

We hope to see you at one of these events!

Meet the 2015 Big D Climb Co-Chair: Loan Huynh

Loan Huynh is co-chairing the 2015 Big D Climb with Julie Westbrook Eisenberg.  Loan wears many hats for the North Texas Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  She is a member of the Board of Trustees, a volunteer, advocate and most importantly, a blood cancer survivor.  Meet this dynamic and engaging woman and learn more about what she and Julie have in store for the Big D Climb.

What is your connection to LLS and its mission? 
I am a two-time survivor of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).  I was originally diagnosed in 2005 when I lived in Chicago.  After treatments and going into remission, I moved down to DFW  where I relapsed 30 months later.  After another bout of treatments and a bone marrow transplant, I wanted to help this cause.  It is because of organizations like LLS, that I am able to be here today.  The research they do to find treatments and someday a cure has impacted me directly.

How many years have you been involved with the Big D Climb & in what capacity?  
I participated in the very first Big D Climb!  For the first year we had a team of 13 close friends and family.  The following year our team grew to about 25 which included several co-workers from Ivie & Associates.  It really surprised us and Warren & Kay Ivie (Ivie & Associates owners) how much this event inspired our associates.  From then on Ivie & Associates have been corporate chairs and sponsor of this great event.  Our team grows every year!  Last year we had over 140 climbers and volunteers!  We expect to exceed that this year!

What are you most excited about for the upcoming Big D Climb?  
I think the excitement is the same every year for me.  It doesn't get old.  It's so cool to see crowds of people gathering to support such an amazing cause!  The event gets bigger and bigger with more sponsors, more activities and this year more stairs.  Yikes!

Why should people get registered for the climb now?  
You should register and start training now!  It's great to get a jump start on the training and fundraising.  You definitely want to get in on early registration to take advantage of the lower registration price.  But you want to register, get your team started and get the excitement going.  We're all there to raise money and awareness for blood cancer research but if you can put on a tu-tu, climb some stairs and have some fun in the mean time, all the better!

Tell us your strategy for conquering a taller climb this year.  
Slow and steady wins the race!  :)

Register today at www.bigdclimb.org

Ivie & Associates 2014 Big D Climb team

Freebie Friday: Save the Date!

Ivie & Associates, the 2014 Presenting Sponsors of the Big D Climb, is getting a jump on its fundraising for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).   The annual Rock For The Climb benefit concert is the company's largest single push in its team fundraising effort.  

The Big D Climb has become part of the Ivie & Associates culture.  Each year more than 100 Ivie employees, their families and friends fundraise and participate in the 52 flight stairclimb together.  Join them in 2014 as they march to the top of Fountain Place on Saturday, January 25, 2014.  

Register today at www.bigdclimb.org