Two Bellbrook High School students soared to a victory as the Visionaries of the Year for the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society, with a little help from their friends.
Cali Harnish and Venus Aggarwal were the leaders of this year's Soaring for a Cure team and were named the Dayton Visionaries of the Year as they raised more than $60,000 in a seven-week period to help fund blood cancer research, patient support, and advocacy efforts.
“When I found out we won, I truly felt like I was dreaming,” Harnish said of the banquet Friday night. “When we walked on stage together, I was so distraught and surprised, I didn't even have time to process the fact that we completed our goal of the entire campaign. Not only did we win Student Visionaries of The Year, we won our mission pillar award, which was extremely important to both Venus and I. That night was so memorable, and I want to go back!”
“I felt thrilled, mostly surprised,” Aggarwal said. “Previous winning teams typically raised between $75,000 and $100,000, so I didn't expect us to win with $60,000. I thought Centerville or Waynesville had raised more. However, I wasn't surprised that we won the Mission Pillar Award. We put in the hard work, and it was clear that our dedication stood out.”
The Mission Pillar was the Patient Care and Support pillar, the focus of most of their work.
The LLS team at BHS put on a number of events to raise awareness and funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, including dine-outs, a workout event, a shopping takeover and a gala held at the Sugar Valley Golf Club.
The gala welcomed guests from across the area who were treated to dinner and stories about who and what the BHS students were raising money for.
The main objective this year was to raise money for Nolan, a toddler born with a blood disease.
“From this experience, I learned not to take anything for granted,” Harnish said. “Hearing the different stories of people who have suffered from cancers and even seeing it first hand was eye opening. I remember hearing Nolan's story for the first time, and I felt my heart break. No child should ever go through something as horrible as cancer, but they do every day. I plan to stay in contact with Nolan's family. I currently have his birthday and one year of remission in my calendar so I can contact his mother!”
“I plan to stay in contact with Nolan and his family.” Aggarwal said. “I'm connected with his mom, Kim, on social media, and I've let her know that we're available if she ever needs a babysitter. I also know she plans to remain involved with the Adult Leadership Committee, and I'm planning to join the Junior Leadership Committee, so we'll likely continue to cross paths.”
According to the LLS website, Student Visionaries of the Year is a groundbreaking philanthropic leadership development program for high school students. Every year, courageous young leaders embark on an exciting seven-week journey with a goal to create a world without blood cancers, striving to earn the Student Visionary of the Year title.
Together with all Dayton teams, the BHS team helped raise an incredible combined total of $216,673 toward a world without blood cancer.
“This year, we'll be leaving behind a strong foundation for the next team,” Aggarwal said. “We'll pass down our connections with the Chamber of Commerce and the township, a secured venue for a gala, a list of sponsors, a set of ready-to-go events, and valuable knowledge on how, and when, to approach people for support. We'll also have some returning team members who may want to stay involved.”
“This campaign took time, focus, and lots of patience, but every single second of it was worth it,” Harnish said. “I encourage everyone to get involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in one way or another, because this campaign has changed my life.”
While the future looks bright for go-getters like Aggarwal and Harnish, it looks equally so for families like Nolan’s and so many others who struggle with these types of diagnoses. With visionaries like we have at Bellbrook High School, and fundraising efforts throughout Dayton like these, even with a tough diagnosis, the future is a much easier vision to see.