LHS students campaign to cure cancer

Annual LLS Student of the Year campaign is underway

By Chuck Gibson

LOVELAND, OH (March 16, 2022) – Claire Ziegler and Grace Dressel are the 2022 Leukemia Lymphoma Society Student of the Year (LLS-SOY) candidates leading the Loveland High School Team CoUREage 3.0 fundraising campaign to raise awareness and help cure cancer.

Grace was a part of the LLS-SOY team for LHS last year and helped raise close to $95K during the 2021 campaign. This is the first year Claire is part of the team. The two have been working hard during these first four weeks of the seven week-long campaign. Katie Rose, LMS, is the teacher coordinator for the LLS-SOY campaign in Loveland and asked Claire to help out when she was in 8th grade.  

“When I was in 8th grade, Jordan Sovik ran the campaign and I helped out,” said Ziegler. “I really wanted to help them raise money. Ms. Rose said she saw some determination in me that she liked.”

That led to Ms. Rose reaching out to her this past June to join Grace Dressel as part of TEAM CoURage 3.0 for this 2022 campaign.

“I said I would love to do it,” said Ziegler.

Ziegler says she has no direct personal connection to cancer, but shared her story about being a neighbor of Grant Wolf. Grant captured the hearts of the Loveland community with his battle against brain cancer. The Loveland Primary School student that inspired the “Wolf Pack” passed away a little over a year ago. His story connected with Ziegler.

“Grant Wolf was my neighbor. His story really connected with me,” Ziegler said. “I babysat his twin sister and his brother. She told me all about him. It hit even harder.”

Ziegler has dedicated part of her campaign to Grant Wolf. She understands his brain cancer is different than the LLS blood cancers. At the same time, she hopes money raised for the cure of blood cancers will help find a cure for brain cancer too. Together, she and Grace have been calling on people and businesses for direct donations as well as holding a couple events at area breweries. Typically, they set up a stand there, auction off a gift basket, sell split-the-pot tickets and even have some t-shirts they’ve been selling to raise money toward their goal. They set a goal to raise $50K, but hope to stretch that to $75K or more. Again, last year the LHS team raised $94, 000. More events to come as they enter the final three weeks beginning with today at a local barbeque.

“This Wednesday we have an event at Midwest Barbeque,” said Ziegler. “From 11a.m-8p.m. they’re going to donate 10% of all their sales toward us when people show up with a flyer.”

The team has scheduled several events for the stretch run to meet and beat their fundraising goal. They are one of 15 area school LLS-SOY teams competing for the Students of the Year honor by raising the most money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Among the upcoming events is a special “Light Up Loveland” – a one-mile memorial walk at Nisbet Park on the Loveland trail this Saturday, March 19 from 6:30-8 pm.

“People can arrive 6 to 6:30,” Ziegler said. “We have someone emceeing at 6:30. They’re just going to give some information about LLS and encourage people to donate. That’s the whole point to raise money for cancer, but also to remember Grant Wolf.”

Participation in the one-mile walk is free. Team CoUREage will be selling glow sticks and t-shirts along with accepting donations to help raise money toward their goal. Claire Ziegler shared why this campaign is important.

“I think we’ve all been touched by cancer in some way, whether a family member, a neighbor, or just someone we love,” said Ziegler. “It’s all around us. Cancer. . . it just kind of sucks that it exists. It’s something we have to find a cure for eventually so there is no one who dies from cancer anymore; we don’t lose anymore people like Grant.”  

Here is more of the scheduled events to help support TEAM CoUREage 3.0:

• March 16th, 11am-8pm- Midwest BBQ 20% give back (people have to show a flyer or mention they’re there to support LLS)
• March 19th, all day-  Kirby’s 15% giveback
• March 19th, 6-8:30pm –  Memorial Walk in honor of Grant Wolf
• March 24th – MPH Brewery Night
• April 3rd, 4-8pm – Sonder Brewery Night

“It’s 15 teams. Whoever can raise the most money wins Student’s of the Year,” said Ziegler. “Yeah, it would be great to be Student’s of the Year, but I think the whole goal is to raise money. As a whole collective 15 teams, our goal is $600,00 and all that money would go toward blood cancer research. If we find a cure for that, eventually we’re going to find a cure for other cancers.”   

Learn more about Team CoURage 3.0 and donate at: https://events.lls.org/soh/tristatesoy22/tcoureage30

CLICK HERE to buy a t-shirt online

Check them out on Instagram: @lovelandteamcoureage3.0

Visit Loveland Schools online at: www.lovelandschools.org