Contact:
                                                                                                Andrea Greif
                                                                                                (914) 821-8958
                                                                                                andrea.greif@lls.org

White Plains, NY (Feb. 24, 2010) - John Walter, President and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) shaved off all of his blond hair today  as part of LLS's new Totally Baldacious (www.totallybaldacious.org) campaign. So far thanks to support from friends, family neighbors and business associates he has raised more than $30,000 to help fund cancer research and patient services but he is not done yet!

"By shaving my head I am sending a message on behalf of LLS and all of our supporters, to let people with cancer know they are not alone," Walter said, after having his head shaved at George's Hair Salon in New Rochelle, NY. "Through the generosity of those who have shown they care by participating in Totally Baldacious, we are able to help patients fighting cancer live better, longer lives."

 "Totally Baldacious!," which has run through the month of February (www.totallybaldacious.com) is a new LLS fundraising campaign where guys (and girls) can shave their head; gals (and guys) can lighten or color their hair; already bald guys can wear a temporary tattoo on their head and guys with beards or moustaches can shave or color them. There is an online component in which participants can "virtually" bald their social networking profile and dare others to shave one for the team, or to support their fundraising efforts.  Participants set a fundraising goal, ask family and friends for donations, and then go Totally Baldacious! Follow the campaign through the @LLS blog on www.lls.org, the Totally Baldacious Fan Page on Facebook, or the @baldacious Twitter profile to participate in the online buzz.

"The Totally Baldacious campaign is a personal way to demonstrate your support for cancer patients who lose their hair while undergoing treatment," said Walter. "The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, like all nonprofits, must be innovative particularly in these uncertain economic times, and we have taken some unique approaches with this campaign, through our  social networking channels and use of a novel "Be Baldacious" widget to get our message out and encourage it to go viral."

All proceeds from Totally Baldacious support LLS's blood cancer research funding and patient services initiatives. Visit http://totallybaldacious.llsevent.org/CEOJOHNWALTER to view Walter's page.

Click here to check out John Walter's before and after photo.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. 
 
Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. www.lls.org.

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