Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Louisville holding Visionaries of the Year campaign

I’M JENNIFER BAYLESS. WE HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS WITH US HERE IN THE STUDIO TO TALK ABOUT THE LOUISVILLE LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR FOR 2024. IT IS A MOUTHFUL, BUT IT IS A VERY SPECIAL EVENT. ASHTON WITH THE LLS IS HERE. AND KAREN, WHO IS A VISIONARY OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE FOR 2024. LET’S START OUT WITH YOU, KAREN. LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION TO LLS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO AT LEAST 20 YEARS AGO, I FIRST BECAME INVOLVED IN LLS. I DID A CENTURY RIDE FOR THE LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE MONEY FOR PATIENTS AND FOR CAREGIVERS FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND RESEARCH, ADVOCACY AND AND CLINICAL TRIALS FOR THEM. SO I HAD THAT. AND THEN MY DAUGHTER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, AND SHE HAS HAD JUST A TREMENDOUS, UH, JOURNEY. UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE THING. UM, SO IT’S BEEN A STRUGGLE, BUT THERE’S SO MANY WAYS THAT WE CAN GIVE BACK SO MANY THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM IT. YES. TELL US, TELL US ABOUT THE BEADS. YEAH. SO I BROUGHT HER BEADS OF COURAGE, WHICH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE’S, UH, IT’S ACTUALLY 22.5FT LONG EVERY, EVERY BEAD HAS ITS OWN MEANING. SO EVERY DISCHARGE, EVERY CHEMO DAY. WOW. UM. AND, UH, YOU, HER HER FAVORITE ONE IS THIS MUCOSITIS BEAD. IT’S A LITTLE CACTUS AND MUCOSITIS IS WHEN A PATIENT, UM, ALL THEIR INTERNAL LINING JUST KIND OF BASICALLY ULCERS AND, UM, SO IT’S REALLY HARD TO SWALLOW AND STUFF. SO SHE WENT SIX DAYS OF NOT EATING OR DRINKING, AND, UM, SHE GOT THAT BEAD FOR THAT SPECIFIC REASON. ALL RIGHT. WELL, ASHTON, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE, UH, LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR. WHAT IS THAT EVENT? YEAH. SO THE VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR CAMPAIGN IS A CAMPAIGN FOR INDIVIDUALS LIKE KAREN WHO BECOME CANDIDATES, AND THEY FUNDRAISE FOR TEN WEEKS. SO WE KICKED OFF ON MARCH 28TH. WE HAVE OUR GRAND FINALE GALA ON JUNE 6TH. SO THE CANDIDATES WILL FUNDRAISE THROUGHOUT THE TEN WEEKS. THE TOP FUNDRAISER WILL BECOME OUR VISIONARY OF THE YEAR. SO WE ALWAYS LOOK FOR CANDIDATES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE A PASSION TO LLS AND WANT TO KIND OF SPREAD THEIR STORY AND THEIR AWARENESS, AND WE’RE HONORED TO HAVE KAREN WITH US AS A CANDIDATE THIS YEAR. VERY NICE. THERE’S SO MUCH, UH, THAT LLS DOES FOR NOT JUST CANCER PATIENTS, BUT THEIR FAMILIES. HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED WITH LLS? SO THERE’S SO MANY WAYS TO GET INVOLVED. WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT CAMPAIGN WITHIN LOUISVILLE ZOO. WE HAVE OUR VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR PROGRAM. WE HAVE OUR STUDENT VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR PROGRAM, AND OUR LIFE AND NIGHT PROGRAM. SO I WANT TO PASS IT OFF TO KAREN TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT SHE HAS COMING UP WITH HER CAMPAIGN. YEAH. SO WE HAVE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED. UM, I DO HAVE A SITE THAT HAS THE FUNDRAISING, THE ABILITY TO DONATE, BUT ALSO SOME DIFFERENT EVENTS. UM, FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY PICKLEBALL OR THOSE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN PGA, THAT THEY CAN CLICK ON THE EVENT SITE AND READ MORE ABOUT WHAT IS THE SITE. UM, SO IT IF WE COULD PUT UP A QR CODE OR UM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. OKAY. UM, SO IT’S A MOUTHFUL OTHERWISE. OKAY. AND HOW CAN WE GET CONNECTED TO LLS REAL QUICK? SO YOU CAN GET CONNECTED TO, TO US BY CONTACTING ME? IT’S ASHTON LOYD AT LLS ORG. SO FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT AND WE CAN GET YOU CONNECTED, GET YOU HOOKED UP WITH KAREN’S FUNDRAISING PAGE AS WELL. AND WE WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU ON THE COMMUNITY AND SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT THIS GREA