The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) announced its Man & Woman of the Year last Thursday night, June 17, at the Grand Finale at the River Oaks Country Club. For the last 10 weeks, 14 local professionals - seven women and seven men - have been competing for the title Man & Woman of the Year and have raised more than $208,000 to help LLS fund blood cancer research and provide support for patients and their families.
Emcee Dana Tyson, the host of Sunny 99.1’s Sunny Mornings, announced the winners of this inaugural fund-raising event. Every dollar the candidates raised counted as one “vote,” and the candidates with the most votes were named the winners. Rocky Harris, Senior Vice President of the Houston Dynamo,was voted Man of the Year and raised more than $41,000, and Carol Colin of Team Superheroes for a Cure was voted Woman of the Year and raised $37,000. Both winners will now be entered into the national competition of Man & Woman of the Year, and that winner will be named in August.
The candidates competed in honor of LLS’s Boy & Girl of the Year, Jack Dragna (age 7) and Hannah Gilbert (age 10), two local children who are blood cancer survivors and sources of inspiration.
“Every candidate is a winner for increasing awareness about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and raising research money to find a cure,” said Billie Sue Parris, Executive Director of the LLS Texas Gulf Coast Chapter.
Harris said, “I was truly honored to participate in such a worthwhile campaign. The entire Houston Dynamo organization and our fans supported me as I exceeded my original goal by over 500%. I campaigned on behalf of my mom and all of the thousands people suffering from blood cancers. Now, thanks to the efforts of all 14 candidates, we are $208,000 closer to finding a cure.”
“It was truly an honor to raise money for LLS, an organization that helps families like mine that have battled, are battling or will battle leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers. It was so much fun organizing a team of superheroes and finding creative ways to encourage others to financially support blood cancer research and awareness. The response was phenomenal surpassing all expectations. I believe all involved are superheroes daily!” said Carol Colin.
The evening included a silent auction, cocktails and appetizers, and a special guest performance from award-winning artist and songwriter Kristine Mills.
The 2010 Man & Woman of the Year campaign is supported by its generous corporate sponsors: BMC Software, Forza Resources, Genentech, H-E-B, Houston Dynamo, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Momentum Audi, and Volkswagen. LLS would also like to offer a special thanks to Sara Catherine Photography and Flowers by Nino.
The 2010 candidates were:
- Sonia Azad – Reporter at KTRK-TV (Channel 13)
- Fidan Baca – Marketing Manager for Ei8ght, Pub Fiction and Shot Bar
- Beth Bryant – Team Conquer Cancer 2010
- Veda Burns – Team Agents and Angels
- Carol Colin – Superheroes for a Cure
- Dan Davenport – Sales Manager for DePuy Orthopedics
- Dr. Anna R. Keating Franklin – Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the Children’s Cancer Hospital at MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Rocky Harris – Senior Vice President for the Houston Dynamo
- Mikki Dorsey – Professional Search Consultant for ProStaff
- Jason Kohll – Senior Director of Corporate Development for the Houston Rockets and Toyota Center
- Laura La Rue – Event Planner, Bristol Stone Events
- Jared Lang – General Manager of Momentum Audi/VW
- Jean-Claude Pratts – Owner and CEO of JCP Consulting
- Dr. Alejandro Preti – Medical Director-Oncology Unit, The Methodist Hospital
For more information on the campaign, please visit www.mwoy.org/txg or call Elizabeth Weiss at 713.680.8088
About the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society®, headquartered in White Plains,
NY, with 67 chapters in the United States and Canada,
is the world’s largest voluntary organization dedicated to funding blood cancer
research and providing education and patient services. The LLS mission: Cure
leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of
life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has
invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia,
lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, LLS made 5.1 million contacts with
patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.
