Dear Friends & Family,

We are pilgrims on a journey - We are travelers on the road - We are here to help each other - Walk the mile and bear the load.

The lyrics above come from one of my favorite songs - The Servant Song.  They seem fitting as I reflect on the opportunity of a lifetime that I have been given to help others.  

 Each year, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) launches its “Visionaries of the Year” fundraising campaign, and this year I am honored to be nominated as a candidate. I am writing today to ask for your support of LLS’s mission in its efforts to find cures for blood cancers and to assist patients and families as they battle this disease. 

 From April 6th–June 15th, 2023, my team’s goal is to raise $50,000 which will go directly to LLS in support of its longstanding goal: a world without blood cancers. 

 I am joining the fight against blood cancers in support of so many, but in particular, Gavin Picard, a junior at Avon Grove High School, who was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma in Fall of 2022.  Like many of you, I have witnessed first-hand the debilitating effects that leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma can have on those who suffer from these blood cancers, and on the friends and family who care for and nurture their loved ones. LLS offer families like the Picards a variety of patient and caregiver resources, throughout their difficult journey, totally free of charge. 

 In addition to patient and caregiver resources, there are other reasons to be proud to support LLS’s efforts.  For instance, approximately 40% of new cancer therapies approved by the FDA since 2000 were first approved for blood cancer patients.  And many of these LLS-supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but they have also led to a tremendous number of advances in many other types of cancers, like bone, brain, and breast. Your contribution will have rippling effects across the entire cancer landscape. 

Here is how you can be part of the cure… Our campaign is all about dollars raised and I am asking you today to join me in this ambitious campaign. We have until June 15, 2023, to reach our goal of raising $50,000.  By reaching this goal, we will be able to name a specific research program at LLS in honor of Gavin and his fight.  I have enclosed a donation form and envelope to make it easy for you to send your tax-deductible contribution (payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). Or, if you prefer, you can make your contribution here on my webpage.

Your donation will prevent someone from losing a child, sibling, parent, or loved one, and allow LLS to continue funding lifesaving research. To learn more about LLS and its mission, go to www.lls.org.

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Please know how much this means to me. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generous support.

With Appreciation,

 Dan Sarkissian

TEAM SARKISSIAN

2023 Delaware Visionaries of the Year

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