Announcements
Announcing RAI's 2009 Partner of the Year | Resourcetitle
To celebrate its 25th Anniversary, Resource Title chose to share some of its success with local non-profit organizations within the Cleveland area. For every residential refinance or purchase closed through Resource Title, $25 was donated to Rise Above It (RAI) in the months of September and December. For a commercial transactions, Resource Title donated $100. In total, Resource Title donated $3,500 to RAI in support of the fight against young adult cancer! This is an excellent example of a local company sharing its success with the Greater Cleveland community. Please take part in celebrating Resource Title's 25th Anniversary – a tremendous milestone – and read about our proud partner by visiting www.resourcetitle.com.
Katie Meacham — Young Adult Hodgkin's Lymphoma Survivor Fighting for Her Life
In spring of 2008, one week after her 25th birthday, Katie Meacham was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Unresponsive to chemotherapy, she moved to Houston, TX and underwent an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (using her own blood stem cells), which put her in remission. Upon returning to New York, she became heavily involved in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, becoming a friend and resource to countless others battling cancer.
In September, after celebrating a year cancer-free, Katie received news that she had relapsed. She met this news with the same courage, determination and hope that she held throughout her initial diagnosis and treatment.
Doctors say her best chance for long term recovery and survival is an Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant, meaning she needs blood stem cells from a matching donor since her own blood stem cells didn't keep the cancer away.
You may be the one to save Katie, or one of the other 6,000 people searching for a life-saving match each day. Right now, 14 million people are currently registered to donate, with not a single match for Katie.
Registering involves having a test kit mailed to you, answering a brief set of medical history questions and swabbing your cheek with special Q-tips. Postage is free and it is painless.
If you are a match, 70% of the time the procedure involves removing blood from one arm through a needle, collecting the stem cells from the blood, and returning the blood to the donor through a needle in the other arm. It only takes the donor a short time to replenish their stem cell supply.
If you are not match for Katie, you could be a match for one of the thousands adolescent and young adults in need, who are holding out hope that the next new donor will be the one who saves their life.
Please register today to become a stem cell or marrow donor at http://join.marrow.org/4katie
YOU COULD BE THE ONE TO SAVE HER LIFE!
To read more about Katie's battle, go to www.kancerclub.com
RAI Attends the LIVESTRONG™ Young Adult Alliance Annual Conference…
The LIVESTRONG™ Young Adult Alliance (LSYAA) meets annually, creating an opportunity for information and resource sharing, and to develop collaborative relationships within the young adult cancer community. On November 13th and 14th, the LSYAA met to ensure that LIVESTRONG™ is offering the appropriate resources necessary for our grassroots organizations to grow with collective strength.
Day 1
Ryan O’Donoghue (Founder/President) attended the New Media and Clinical Trials & Follow-Up Care breakout sessions while Jackie McNamara (Chair, Fundraising & Sponsorships) attended the New Media and Resource Sharing and breakouts. Each session featured experts who shared their experience and provided direction on how to collaborate and use new tools tackle the issues limiting progress against cancer in young adults.
Day 2
Ryan met with the Awareness Task Force. Ryan and other nonprofit leaders worked to continue implementing the recommendations of the Progress Review Group report related to awareness, advocacy and communications both within the alliance and to patients and their families.
Click here for more information about the AYOA Progress Review Group.
Jackie attended and joined the Membership Task Force. Jackie and other members evaluated current member support and worked to ensure the stability of the LSYAA. The Membership Task Force will continue to evaluate new member applications, nominate steering committee members, and make recommendations for changes to membership guidelines. This group is also working to improve communication and resource sharing, develop Newsletters and recognize members’ events and community impact.
RAI attends the 2008 LIVESTRONG™ Summit...
RAI representatives, Jackie McNamara (Chair, Corporate Sponsorships) and Ryan O’Donoghue (Founder/President) served as delegates at the 2008 LIVESTRONG™ Summit. The four day seminar took place July 24 – 27 at The Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio, and included a Presidential Town Hall on Cancer on July 24.
Jackie and Ryan were identified and accepted through an application process to be inspired by renowned keynote speakers and to become empowered through hands-on training sessions. Jackie studied Grassroots Fundraising, while Ryan studied Grassroots Advocacy.
The Summit hosted nearly 1,000 delegates representing cancer survivors, medical professionals and non-profit leaders from all across the country. RAI took advantage of the amazing networking opportunity to learn and grow, and as a result established new partnerships that will help provide Adolescents and Young Adults with support services they need in their fight against cancer.Lastly, RAI played a small but important role in hosting the LAF Board of Directors in Ohio. With the help of Kristen Luff, LAF directors were able to enjoy a wonderful dining experience at ‘M’ following a long day of meetings. As a result, Jackie, Kristen and Ryan had the privilege of meeting LAF leadership - including Lance! See below for pictures from the weekend:
Click here for more information about the Summit.
RAI organizes Cleveland Browns visit to University Hospitals...
On October 12, 2007, Dave Zastudil of the Cleveland Browns paid a visit to Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital.
Pediatric cancer patients, Brandon Och and Ge'Rhett Fletcher, had the opportunity to spend some time and meet with the former Bay Village High School and Ohio University standout two days before the Cleveland Browns went on to beat the Miami Dolphins 41-31.
Zastudil's visit was made possible by Rise Above It (RAI)
Click here for more information.
RAI Joins the LIVESTRONG™ Young Adult Alliance...
Rise Above It (RAI) was invited by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to become a member of its LIVESTRONG™ Young Adult Alliance.
The LIVESTRONG™ Young Adult Alliance is a coalition of organizations with the goal to improve the survival rates and quality of life for young adults with cancer between the ages of 15 and 40. The Alliance is committed to promoting research and the investigation of the problem, serving as a voice for the issue and promoting effective solutions.
RAI Founder and President, Ryan O'Donoghue, attended the Alliance annual meeting in Austin, TX on November 8 and 9.
Click here for more information about the LIVESTRONG™ Young Adult Alliance.
Rise Above It Awarded Accenture's 2006 Volunteer Service Award
Accenture named Rise Above It (RAI) for the Denver area location 2006 Accenture Volunteer Service Award.
A local selection committee chose RAI from many qualified nominees in Denver, as the award recipient for its outstanding work in the Non-Profit community. In honor of this recognition, Accenture contributed a $1,000 to RAI.
In small and large ways every day, Accenture people are at work in our communities, improving life for others and in so doing advancing Accenture's stated interest in corporate citizenship. RAI is very proud of this accomplishment. Our name was included in a US-wide memo recognizing all of Accenture's 2006 Volunteer Service Award winners.
RAI Participated in the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) LIVESTRONG™ Summit
RAI Founder and President, Ryan O'Donoghue, participated as a delegate in the inaugural LIVESTRONG™ Summit. The LAF lead a survivorship movement that will broaden the awareness and impact the unmet physical, emotional and practical needs of people living with cancer.
The inaugural LIVESTRONG™ Summit took place October 27-29, 2006, in Austin, Texas. Throughout the weekend, LIVESTRONG™ Summit delegates were inspired and led by esteemed conference speakers such as:
- Cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong
- Senator John Kerry
- LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., M.D., President's Cancer Panel Chair
- Author Jim Collins
- Michael Milken, FasterCures Chairman
- Antonia C. Novello, Former U.S. Surgeon General
Delegates left Austin empowered, inspired and prepared to energize their state's survivorship population and help change the face of cancer survivorship. RAI is proud to be involved with such a powerful organization.
The LIVESTRONG™ Summit experience can be re-lived by visiting the LIVESTRONG™ Summit Round-Up, a session-by-session synopsis of the Summit weekend.
John O'Flanagan Partners with Team in Training
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training® is the world's largest endurance sports training program. The program provides training to run or walk marathons and half marathons or participate in triathlons and century (100-mile) bike rides. Since 1988, more than 295,000 volunteer participants have helped raise more than $660 million.
Johnny O, close friend to RAI, participated in a 100 mile bike ride in Lake Tahoe California-Nevada. He rode in honor and in memory of RAI founder Colin O'Donoghue.
Click here to read more about Johnny O's experience with Team In Training.