The 5^th annual Students of the Year campaign wrapped up last night with a Virtual Grand Finale Celebration. The event celebrated the hard work of ten student teams, comprised of 25 students from seven different schools. Collectively they raised $434,170 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) mission to find a cure for blood cancer and provide support to patients and their families.

Every dollar the candidates raised counted as one “vote” and the candidates with the most votes were awarded the title Students of the Year. Team Mission: Milestones, led by Savannah Country Day School freshman Emiline Baxter and Savannah Arts Academy freshman Mary Tippins Solana, earned the title of Students of the Year by raising $152,035. Mission: Milestones broke all Man, Woman and Students of the Year records for the total amount raised in Savannah! The Runner Up was team Got CUREage led by Savannah Country Day School freshmen, Ella Stone, Lilla Brennan and Carson Cook. Got CUREage raised $95,662. All the candidates competed in honor of LLS’s Boy & Girl of the Year, Andrew and Braylynn, local children who are blood cancer survivors and sources of inspiration to others. 

“The impact that this generation is making in the fight against cancer is remarkable. They have remained positive while planning their campaign strategies and fundraising throughout a pandemic. These students continued to raise awareness and funds for LLS despite continued challenges this year. We couldn’t be more proud of their dedication and accomplishments. Our generous community has helped us reach a cumulative total of over $1.4 million in the past five years,” said Jennie Brewster, Campaign Development Director for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Georgia/South Carolina Region.

In addition, Citizenship Awards were presented to those candidates who incorporated the LLS mission into their campaign and went above and beyond to engage their community. The Mission Integration Award was earned by Cats for a Cure, led by Richmond Hill High School students Sadie Hamilton, Brena Loveless and Cecilia Mateo. The Community Involvement Award was awarded to Answer for Cancer, led by Megan Gladden, Caroline Kurinij and Haley Henderson from St. Andrews School and St. Vincent’s Academy. Students of the Year Team Member of the Year went to Hayden Anderson, team Mission: Milestones.

The candidates were selected by a Leadership Team and Student Task Force chaired by Maria Mascolo and Katherine Ezelle.

To learn more about the campaign or nominate a student for 2022, go to www.studentsoftheyear.org