Rancho Cucamonga High School senior, Nimrah Khan, was nominated by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) to be this year’s Student Visionary of the Year. Khan was nominated by an RCHS alumni who ran last year and was officially accepted as a candidate. She is running in honor of her sister, Mehreen, who passed from leukemia in 2014.

LLS hosts fundraising campaigns that support blood cancer research around the world. The organization recognizes a Student of the Year award, while also helping others and supporting research for blood cancer cures.

High school students anywhere can be nominated to participate in a six to eight-week initiative where the candidates, or teams of two to three candidates, make a campaign to raise money in honor of a local patient who is battling or is in remission of blood cancer. The candidate or team who raises the most money at the end of the campaign is named Student Visionary of the Year for their local chapter. The annual campaign takes place from January to March and lasts seven weeks.

“My mission is to work with Team Mehreen and my LLS [Leukemia and Lymphoma Society] ambassador to raise as much money as I can for blood cancer research in just seven weeks!” Khan said. “Every cent counts. Let’s end cancer.”

Mehreen was a former RCHS student. Just two years after graduating in 2011, she fought for her life for six months.

“LLS gave my sister hope and helped her through her journey,” Khan said. “This organization does more than raise funds. As part of their initiative, I strive to eliminate cancer so no one goes through what Mehreen went through.”

Khan’s initial goal for her campaign is to get over $20,000. She is a part of the Greater Los Angeles region, but there are three other regions in California that run in the campaign: Northern California, Southern California – Hawaii, and Central Valley.

Being a candidate for this award benefits students in many ways, specifically in how it appears on college applications. Candidates also receive opportunities such as scholarships and big prizes. Fellow students can also support campaigns by donating and spreading the word around.

Kelly Delaney, a Campaign Development Manager for the LLS, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. In 2009, Delaney was chosen as the honored hero for the Visionaries of the Year Campaign. At age 17, she joined the first annual SVOY campaign, raising over $60,000.

“During this event, I spoke in front of audiences telling my cancer battle with leukemia and inspiring people to donate so this organization could further cancer research and cures,” Delaney said. “I continued to be involved with the LLS helping in any way I could.”

The Los Angeles Student Visionaries of the Year campaign starts on Thursday, Jan. 19, and this is when the candidates’ fundraising links are active. The LLS also accepts donations all throughout the year. Raising money helps support the LLS’s mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma. It also helps improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

“For many years, my family and I have volunteered with the LLS and now being able to work for this company is truly a dream come true,” Delaney said. “Battling for my life at the age of 3 from leukemia has built me into the determined person that I am today.”

The LLS campaigns overall help support cancer patients that are battling for their lives. Delaney refers to the hospital as a “home” and the doctors and nurses became a “family” to her.

“Grateful to the doctors and their knowledge doesn’t even begin to express how thankful we are,” Delaney said.

Any donations to the cause will help. Millions of people and their families suffer through fighting for their lives. This organization could further cancer research and cures. The LLS tackles cancer and is striving to eliminate it.