The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2009 Man & Woman of the Year

     Campaign Announces Winners at San Francisco's Bently Reserve

B    

Signature campaign features the City's brightest movers & shakers during ten weeks of creative fundraising efforts in the fight against blood cancers

SAN FRANCISCO (July 2009) The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2009 Man & Woman of the Year were announced at a celebratory event on May 28, 2009 at San Francisco's Bently Reserve. This year's honorary chair, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, crowned Woman of the Year, Purvi Shah, and Man of the Year, Bill Shen. The winners received their honors at an event emceed by Dr. Michael Pritchard and the 2008 Man of the Year and the newly-elected San Francisco Chapter Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Board of Trustee president, Brian Kinion.

Eleven candidates raised $305,000 in just ten weeks, an incredible feat in the face of this year's economy. The candidates included CNN's Dr. Melina Jampolis, Arnold Wong from E&O Trading Co., Mozilla's Dan Portillo and KPIX-TV's Roberta Gonzales, among others. Winner Shen serves as vice president with Encore Consumer Capital and Shah is the founder of Kids & Art.

Man of the Year, Shen, raised an impressive $58,000, while his counterpart, Woman of the Year Shah, raised an equally notable $31,000.

Level Three events transformed the Bently Reserve into an elegant oasis as guests enjoyed Skye Vodka cocktails and Wente Vineyards wines while being entertained by electric flutist Mindy Canter. After-program dancing was to the sounds of the hot disco cover band, Live Wire.

Other outstanding candidates included: Johnnie Jean Daniel, High School Health Specialist, Mt. Tamalpais High School; Rajinder Dua, Owner, RR Gallery; Lawrence (Larry) Gerquest, Union Bank Global and Wealth Markets; Roberta Gonzales, four-time Emmy award winning Weather Forecaster, CBS 5 TV; Alphonzo Jackson, Team In Training Coach since 1997 and Senior National Class Runner; Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNN Health's Diet & Fitness Expert; Jake Kloberdanz, CEO, OneHope; Daniel Portillo, Senior Director of Personnel, Mozilla Corporation; Nicole Quandt, Marketing Manager, Wente Vineyards; Purvi Shah, Graphic Designer and Founder of Kids & Art; Arnold Eric Wong, Executive Chef, E&O Trading
Company.                                                                                  

About the Man & Woman of the Year Campaign

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man & Woman of the Year campaign began in 1990 in San Francisco to honor John Spencer, a valued employee at Hastings Clothier in San Francisco and an LLS volunteer. Spencer died of leukemia at the age of 39. It was in John's memory that Hastings began supporting LLS's Northern California Chapter with the San Francisco Man & Woman of the Year event. Now, more than 40 Man & Woman of the Year campaigns occur across the nation, making this a highly visible fundraising program. Since then, more than 400 candidates have raised over the nation $7.8 million to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), headquartered in White Plains, NY, with 68 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world's largest voluntary health 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 6.3 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

For more information about blood cancer, visit www.LLS.org or call the LLS Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master's level social workers, nurses and health educators who provide information, support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Editor's Note:

Please contact us for high-resolution photo images of the candidates or B-roll of fundraising events and interviews with past candidates. Call 415-989-0230 or email us at hprmedia@hathawaypr.com.

Prepared by Hathaway PR

#####

***************************************************************

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2009 Man & Woman of the Year Campaign Kickoff At San Francisco's Hotel Vitale, March 19

Signature campaign features the City's brightest movers & shakers during ten weeks of creative fundraising efforts in the fight against blood cancers

SAN FRANCISCO (March 2009) — The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) 2009 Man & Woman of the Year campaign kicks off at San Francisco's Hotel Vitale on March 19, the goal to raise money and increase awareness in the fight against blood cancers. A dozen high-profile candidates will launch their fundraising efforts amidst LLS's past candidates, winners, board members, campaign supporters, sponsors and the young honorees and their families. This year's honorary chair is the City's new First Lady, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

This friendly "battle of the sexes," founded in San Francisco, ends with the announcement of the Man & Woman of the Year at a finale celebration to be held May 28th at San Francisco's Bentley Reserve. Past candidates and winners have included Mayor Gavin Newsom, Heather Luplow Hartle, Narada Michael Walden, Anna Alioto, Teresa Rodriguez Williamson, Johnny "Love" Metheny and Harry Denton, among others.

The 2009 campaign honorees, eight-year old Calvin Kamson, now in remission from acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and thirteen-year old Adrianna Tucker, now in remission from acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), are the joyful inspiration for the candidates over the ten-week campaign.

During the Man & Woman of the Year competition, candidates compete to generate the most donations by hosting cocktail parties, sporting events, securing silent auction items and letter writing campaigns, among many other creative, and sometimes zany, fundraising avenues.

Billboards of the candidates and winners from the 2008 campaign are up around San Francisco this week. 2008 Man of the Year, Brian Kinion and 2008 Woman of the Year, Betsie Hildago, will lend their wisdom and panache to support the 2009 candidates.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2009 Man & Woman of the Year candidates include: Johnnie Jean Daniel, High School Health Specialist, Mt. Tamalpias High School; Rajinder Dua, Owner, RR Gallery; Lawrence (Larry) Gerquest, Union Bank Global and Wealth Markets; Roberta Gonzales, four-time Emmy award winning Weather Forecaster, CBS 5 TV; Alphonzo Jackson, Team In Training Coach since 1997 and Senior National Class Runner; Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNN Health's Diet & Fitness Expert; Jake Kloberdanz, CEO, OneHope; Daniel Portillo, Senior Director of Personnel, Mozilla Corporation; Nicole Quandt, Marketing Manager, Wente Vineyards; Purvi Shah, Graphic Designer and Founder of Kids & Art; Bill Shen, Vice President, Encore Consumer Capital; Arnold Eric Wong, Executive Chef, E&O Trading Company.

About the Man & Woman of the Year Campaign
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man & Woman of the Year campaign began in 1990 in San Francisco to honor John Spencer, a valued employee at Hastings Clothier in San Francisco and an LLS volunteer. Spencer died of leukemia at the age of 39. It was in John's memory that Hastings began supporting LLS's Northern California Chapter with the San Francisco Man & Woman of the Year event. Now, more than 40 Man & Woman of the Year campaigns occur across the nation, making this a highly visible fundraising program. Since then, more than 400 candidates have raised over the nation $7.8 million to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), headquartered in White Plains, NY, with 68 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world's largest voluntary health 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 6.3 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

For more information about blood cancer, visit www.LLS.org or call the LLS Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master's level social workers, nurses and health educators who provide information, support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Prepared by Hathaway PR

####