Are you looking for ways to support Leukemia & Lymphoma Awareness Month in 2021? Getting involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Awareness Society and other organizations has never been easier or more fun.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- What Is Leukemia and Lymphoma (Blood Cancer) Awareness Month?
- When Does Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month Take Place?
- What Are the Colors, Themes, and Ribbons Associated With Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month?
- How to Acknowledge Blood Cancer Awareness Month
This September, plan on making 2021 the first of many years that you and your community step up! Get involved in advocating and raising money to support cancer researchers and those who've been diagnosed with this terrible disease.
What Is Leukemia and Lymphoma (Blood Cancer) Awareness Month?
The mission of Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month is to find a cure for these two well-known blood cancers and to improve the quality of life for those diagnosed and otherwise struggling with the disease.
Scientists, physicians, family members, nonprofits, and other Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) supporters gather to promote research and education, and push for improved policy and patient advocacy nationwide and throughout the government.
During Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, leaders in the field and advocates for support are honored for their contributions to ending the disease. The Turn it Red Campaign builds awareness with help from celebrities. And the hashtag #FightBloodCancer spreads across social media platforms.
When Does Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month Take Place?
September 2021 is Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month.
Notably, World Lymphoma Awareness Day is September 15th.
What Are the Colors, Themes, and Ribbons Associated With Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month?
Support for blood cancer is represented by red ribbons.
Various charities and advocacy groups support blood cancers utilizing red as an umbrella color for all blood cancer awareness. Many of those same groups also advocate for specific cancers, such as Leukemia and Lymphoma, using additional alternative colors to highlight them.
Orange leukemia ribbons
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society organizes Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Campaigns, but the Leukemia ribbon color has an unusual and somewhat complicated history. Eventually, though, campaigners settled on the color orange for ribbons.
Lime green lymphoma ribbons
Lymphoma’s lime green color has just as complicated as Leukemia’s ribbon history, but it’s essential to acknowledge the correct color awareness to honor those diagnosed with these specific cancers.
LLS team uniform colors
Those who participate in Team in Training and other sporting events wear purple, green, and red uniforms.
How to Acknowledge Blood Cancer Awareness Month
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society acknowledges several ways you can get involved with fundraising and advocacy.
Team in Training
For over 30 years, endurance athletes globally have been competing in events to raise awareness and money for blood cancers like Leukemia and Lymphoma. As teams, participants agree to a fundraising commitment level.
If you’d like to participate by donating to a Team In Training, search this page. Next, click on the appropriate sport or event. Then navigate to the bottom of that page and type in the name of the team or participant.
Light the Night
There are several ways to get involved at the next Light the Night event near you. Here are a few options.
Donate
Make a general donation to the Light the Night fundraiser or donate to a specific participant or team.
Participate
Are you looking to participate in this year’s Light the Night events? If so, go online and sign up as an individual or member of a team. Next, use your social media pages for fundraising and reaching your commitment level. Finally, join the event in person or virtually and celebrate with family and friends.
Sponsor
Sponsorships are essential to any effective fundraising campaign. So if your company is looking to make a positive impact this year, you can become one of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society partners.
Volunteer
Successful fundraising events need volunteers ready to make an impact. Not sure how to help? Go online and sign up to be a Volunteer in Action and put your skills to work for a good cause.
Man and Woman of the Year
There are over 10,000 participants annually in an event ready to honor the best innovations and ingenuity in fundraising. Compete or donate to any of these campaigns to enter. One dollar equals one vote.
At the end of the ten-week event, one candidate with the most votes will wear the title of Man or Woman of the Year.
Student of the Year
Students develop entrepreneurship, marketing, and project management skills by raising money in honor of a local community member diagnosed with cancer. At the end of the seven-week competition, one student will be recognized as the Student of the Year.
If a student you know is actively fundraising, go online to donate directly to their campaign.
Book drives
Little Free Library, a nonprofit organization, wants to increase reading in communities across the US. If your neighborhood already has one of these excellent miniature book exchanges, begin a campaign for children’s books that discuss cancer.
Once they’ve made the rounds in your neighborhood, pass them on to the next. That way, kids of all ages can learn about cancer while developing empathy for friends at school or somebody’s mom or dad.
Student Series
Student Series is a great way to invite students to combine STEM education with cancer awareness. Once your school signs up, you’ll be given access to materials and activities that kids can participate in, giving them wider breadth and empathy for patients with cancer.
Host a movie night
Check out a few movies about dealing with cancer next time you plan on sharing a movie via zoom with your friends. Afterward, invite everyone to talk about their experiences or share some they’re familiar with.
Contact your local newspaper or radio station
If you’re involved in an event or fundraising for LLS, call up your local newspaper or radio station and let them know how others can get involved. Be sure to provide them with data and links to let their listeners and readers know about the importance of participation.
Create a giving tree
Would your local clinic or hospital be in favor of putting up a giving tree seeking get-well gifts for children with cancer?
If you provide the tree and the tags, many people would likely be willing to support kids with cancer.
Leukemia Cup Regatta
Do you love to paddle, sail, or powerboat? If so, use that passion to help bring awareness for LLS and raise funds for research and family support or to help advocates go to Washington seeking support for policy changes.
Since 1988, the Leukemia Cup has attracted water sport enthusiasts to support the cause and help find a cure for blood cancers.
LLS Lifestyle
LLS Lifestyle is a new way to advocate for cancer research. That means if you love spin class, hiking, bowling, canicross, or anything else, you can turn that event into a fundraiser for LLS.
Online DIY fundraiser campaigns
Invite your friends and social media counterparts to join in any LLS events or donate to your online fundraiser. Find purpose with your campaign through birthdays, holidays, and more.
Then send positive messages to loved ones with cancer via those same Internet links to spread the word across your communities far and wide.
Implement planned giving in your will
Planned giving allows you to make donations through various financial resources. Here are a few ways to go about it:
Stocks
If you’d like to make a stock transfer to any LLS research group or nonprofit, give them a call to determine if they have specific instructions and any necessary or needed information.
IRA distributions
Your IRA advisor can help you set up an IRA distribution to ensure your estate receives the benefit of philanthropic gift-giving.
Create a Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
DAFs are similar to savings accounts in that you can add funds at will, receiving charitable deductions with each deposit made.
Donate a vehicle
Contact a vehicle pick-up agency to donate your boat, truck, trailer, or car. Be sure to look for the best rate as most agencies charge a handling fee.
Online shopping
Look for the button on your marketplace shopping login screen that lets you choose a beneficiary. Sign up and donate to any charity of your choice every time you go shopping.
Put your legacy to work
Contact your attorney or estate planner to adjust your will, trust, or estate to include Leukemia and Lymphoma researchers or nonprofits as your beneficiary.
Make a monthly pledge
Contribute financial support to LLS nonprofits and researchers in honor of a friend or loved one. Let these tireless advocates know that their work will continue to receive operational funding.
Corporate giving
Lend annual support to LLS organizations and research institutes as one of their corporate giving partners, ensuring your brand and logo are allied with philanthropic giving.
Sources:
- “Cancer Awareness Month and Days.” Cancer Health, Cancer Health, n.d., cancerhealth.com/page/cancer-awareness-months-days
- “Leukemia.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, n.d., my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4365-leukemia
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, LLS, n.d., lls.org
- “Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month.” American Association for Cancer Research, AACR, n.d., aacr.org/patients-caregivers/awareness-months/leukemia-and-lymphoma-awareness-month/
- McEachern, Bob. “My Cancer Rainbow.” Blood-Cancer, Blood Cancer, 20 September 2018, blood-cancer.com/living/rainbow