Normally, the first half of the year is a whirlwind of events for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). “This is typically our busiest time for fundraising,” says area director Pamela Formica. The calendar is usually packed with golf tournaments, bingo nights, clay shoots, bar nights and more—all with the goal of supporting an organization that's leading the fight against blood cancer. But, when the coronavirus outbreak put social gatherings on pause, Formica and her team had to get creative. After all, cancer doesn't take a time-out, even for a global pandemic. “People need us now more than ever,” Formica says. “People are still getting diagnosed and still need our services.”
Even before she began working with LLS in 2008, she knew firsthand the good work that it does. Her 15-year-old son, David, passed away in 2006 after a long battle with leukemia. Formica says before his death he made her promise that she would continue to help raise money to find new treatments so other children would not have to endure what he did. And so, Formica presses on. “I have good days and bad days, just like everyone else,” she says. “Your bad days—just try to make sure you don't stay there.”
She has reworked fundraising plans while keeping her team motivated. She even volunteered to take a pie in the face for one particular challenge. It's all about thinking outside the box, she says. And it helps that even the uncertainty a health crisis brings can't blunt the generosity of those who are determined to give back. “The Lehigh Valley is always so supportive, even during this time,” Formica says.
