My name is Jessica Nichols and I am the parent of Jaden Nichols, a 4th grader in Paul’s class. We are new to SWCS this year and this is my first big project for the school. It is called Pennies for Patients and it is a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This is a cause very close to my heart as I am a four-time non-Hodgkins lymphoma survivor.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. They offer a wide variety of programs and services in support of their mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Last year over 37,000 patients received Patient Financial Aid from LLS, totaling over $5.5 million, and nearly $38 million was awarded through the LLS Co­PayAsslstance Program.

Today, our school joins 27,000 schools nationwide in the Pennies for Patients program. For the next few weeks, we will help people who are sick with blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

All you have to do is collect coins and other donations and put them in your classroom’s collection box. I will pick them up weekly at the least and handle turning all of the donations into the L&LS.  Donations are spent on patient and community services, research, public health and professional education. We can donate more than pennies too. Checks can be made out to “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.” Schools that raise over $500 qualify for a pizza party.