This year’s Light The Night Executive Challenge ended with a bittersweet roundup of results. The winner, Stacey Weathers, former long-time executive director of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) New Jersey chapter, was tragically killed this past October when a tree fell on her car during a storm. Even though she isn’t here to celebrate with her LLS colleagues and family, her worthy achievement will be recognized as her legacy lives on.
A Powerful Force
The Light The Night Executive Challenge is a national fundraising competition for corporate executives across the nation to personally raise funds for LLS. Executives take part in raising funds by collecting donations to help support LLS to find cures for blood cancers.
Challengers who individually raise $5,000 or more are included in the “Executive Challenge Class of 2015” and have an LLS research grant named in their honor.
In 2014, Executive Challengers raised a combined $3.56 million, a very commendable accomplishment. In 2015, LLS challenged participating executives to individually raise $5,000, and they surpassed this goal by a long shot – raising a combined total of $6.36 million.
As the Top National Challenge Winner, Stacey Weathers’ campaign raised almost $50,000 more than the runner-up and more than tripled last year’s winner. Sam Forrest of Florida Power & Light was this year’s runner-up, followed by Dan Kaplan of Hard Rock Hotel San Diego. Included in the top six winners were Betsy Katten of Pamela B. Katten Memorial Leukemia Research Foundation, Christina Saunders of Jefferson Bank, and Sarah Sturgis of Holy Spirit Hospital.
Paying Tribute
Weathers, along with top fundraising executives, will be featured in a Forbes magazine ad today, as a token of recognition to all for their efforts.
Weathers is credited with helping to raise $7 million annually for LLS during her 11-year tenure. Beyond her passion for finding a cure for cancer, Weathers was known as a kind and caring person towards everyone who came across her path.
Louis J. DeGennaro, LLS’s president and CEO, said, “It was the personal touches and moments of generosity that defined her as a non-profit professional and as a person. Stacey took enormous pride in her staff and the New Jersey Board of Trustees, and they took inspiration from her to try harder, reach farther and do more – all for the patients who need LLS.”
At LLS, we will continue to be inspired by Stacey and all the other executives who stepped up for the Executive Challenge and helped in the effort to advance research and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients.
Learn more about the Light The Night Executive Challenge.