NEW LENOX, IL — Kylie McCarthy is only a junior in high school, but figures it is never too early to start making a difference not only in her community, but in the world.
McCarthy is one of three Lincoln-Way Central juniors who are in the midst of raising tens of thousands of dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a way of not only helping providing funding to the organization’s Illinois chapter but to help raise awareness about forms of blood cancer that affects people around the world.
Click Here: Russia soccer tracksuit
McCarthy, along with fellow students Jazmin Uribe and Emma Buckley, are spearheading an effort to raise at least $35,000 through March 18. The trio, along with a team of 12 other friends and family members, has already raised the majority of that amount already by soliciting donations to the LLS cause and through a series of dine and donate efforts around the community.
Find out what's happening in New Lenoxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
This weekend, Panda Express in Mokena (11255 W. Lincoln Highway) will be donating 20 percent of sales on Saturday for the fundraising effort as the Lincoln-Way Central students keep pressing toward their goal. Donations may be made at person or through the Panda Express app and all orders taken between when the restaurant opens and closes at 9 p.m. will be eligible to help the Lincoln-Way Central efforts.
In addition, the students have been completing advocacy projects in the community including written cards oncology patients at St. Joseph’s Hospital and have made paper cranes to decorate the rooms of young cancer patients. Donations to support the LLS cause can also be made by clicking here.
Find out what's happening in New Lenoxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“We just want to make a difference any way we can,” Uribe told Patch.
The money goes to LLS’s advocacy and research efforts to try to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other forms of blood cancers. While McCarthy didn’t have a direct personal connection to any form of blood cancer, Buckley had seen cancer affect her family through a family friend whose daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at age 2, which made getting in the effort to raise money for the cause a no-brainer.
The little girl went into remission at age 5 and will turn 7 this summer – a journey that Buckley, who also has a great aunt fighting lymphoma, said has opened her eyes up to the need for more research and funding to help combat forms of blood cancer.
McCarthy, meanwhile, knew that raising money — no matter how much — could make a difference.
“As a junior in high school, I feel like I want to help the world,” she told Patch this week. “I feel like sometimes I can’t do that because of my age and lack of experience, but this was something that gave us an opportunity to use as a vehicle to my efforts towards.”
She added: “I think we are showing that older generation who may have predisposed stereotypes (about millennials) that there are people from our generation that can help and want to help and that they should utilize us to help change the world. So it’s kind of statement that just because we’re younger or don’t have as much experience, we are learning things and we are motivated and are willing to help.”
Buckley agreed.
“It’s been meaningful because I know even the littlest bit can count,” she said. “It goes to something and that something is such a great cause. It’s empowering just knowing you are able to do something if you really put your mind to it.”
While the initial amount of raising $35,00 for LLS never seemed daunting, especially to Buckley, who wanted to push the envelope to more than $40,000, all three students have been amazed by the level of commitment they have seen not only from their fellow Lincoln-Way Central students and community have rallied around their cause.
The trio’s LLS fundraising manager believes that crossing over the $50,000 mark is possible by the time the seven-week effort ends next weekend. The students have also partnered with Key Club, a Lincoln-Way Central initiative that encourages students to become involved in helping the community has also proven to be integral to the group’s efforts.
McCarthy and Uribe said that they want to work in some way in Stem research while Buckley is looking to work perhaps in law, medicine or as a psychologist. While all three have big goals toward making a difference in the world, they all agree that this project has given them a unique insight into how they can help others while they are still in high school.
“Getting a whole community to rally around this awesome cause is the most important part of LLS,” Uribe said. “What we’re fighting for is to raise awareness about finding a care for leukemia and lymphoma and all cancer, really. So raising awareness is the first step toward creating real change.
“Knowing there are so many people who want to contribute to this one cause has made a huge difference in my life because I now see that there are more good people in the world, and it has helped formed a more positive image in my mind of our community.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.