More than 2,000 high school leaders across the U.S. led the way to raise over $48 million setting new fundraising record to help blood cancer patients
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WASHINGTON, JUNE 24, 2025 – Cedar and Posey Connell, a brother-sister duo from Boston, MA attending Groton School and Brooks School, have been named The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) 2025 National Student Visionaries of the Year. The trailblazing siblings raised an astonishing $620,438 in just seven weeks with their team of fellow students and volunteers, “Team ConneLLS for a Cure.” The funds raised will further LLS’s mission to cure blood cancers and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
More than 2,000 students across the country participated in Student Visionaries of the Year, LLS’s philanthropic leadership development program for high school students. And this year, candidates and their teams collectively raised over $48 million, breaking a national record.
“The impact made by these remarkable students will significantly help bring LLS closer to achieving our bold goal: to enable blood cancer patients to gain more than one million years of life by 2040,” said LLS President and CEO, E. Anders Kolb, M.D. “They have proven that leadership and the ability to drive meaningful change aren’t bound by age.”
For the Connell siblings, the motivation behind their fundraising campaign was deeply personal. Cedar, now 18, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2022 at the age of 15. After years of intense chemotherapy, his treatment is scheduled to end in July 2025. Today, Cedar is currently in remission, a success his family credits to advancements in treatment made possible by LLS-funded research.
“We wanted to give back to the organization that made my brother’s recovery possible,” said Posey.
“My chemotherapy came with so many terrible side effects, and we hope our fundraising efforts will lead to safer and more effective treatments for future patients,” said Cedar. “I’m so humbled to pay it forward.”
“The incredible young philanthropists involved in Student Visionaries of the Year have a vision for a better future and are truly helping cancer patients live longer, better lives," said Coker Powell, LLS Chief Revenue Officer.
For more than 75 years, LLS has been united in action, making measurable progress across each of its mission focus areas of research, patient support, and advocacy—drastically improving blood cancer survival rates along the way.
Team “Banking on a Cure,” co-led by sophomores Sophia Stavros, MaryAlan Reeves, and Liv Hash of Memorial High School in Houston, TX, raised an impressive $552,330, earning the National Student Visionaries of the Year Runners-Up title. Each member of this third-year legacy team was inspired by a personal connection to blood cancer. Sophia’s close family friend passed away from multiple myeloma, MaryAlan lost her uncle to APL leukemia and has a close cousin currently in remission from lymphoma, and Liv fundraised as a tribute to her grandfather who lost his battle with leukemia.
LLS recognizes Piper Downing of Team “Bears Beating Cancer” from Ottawa Hills High School in Toledo, OH, as the campaign’s top individual fundraising team member, raising an extraordinary $157,760. She earned the title National Team Member of the Year because of her outstanding fundraising efforts.
Sunbelt Rentals, a global leader in the equipment rental industry, is proud to serve as the National Presenting Partner for the 2025 Student Visionaries of the Year campaign season, working together with LLS to engage local communities in support of patients and families impacted by blood cancer. As a National Presenting Partner, Sunbelt Rentals is expanding its previous involvement with the program and highlighting its commitment to investing in the next generation of leaders.
"Sunbelt Rentals is incredibly honored to partner with LLS and we’re proud of every single student and volunteer who made this year’s Student Visionaries of the Year program a huge success,” stated Sunbelt Rentals CEO Brendan Horgan.
Student Visionaries of the Year, one of four top LLS fundraising campaigns recognized by the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum, continues to equip high school students with invaluable professional skills. Students develop expertise in entrepreneurship, marketing, project management, and more.
About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is the global leader and innovator in creating a world without blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure blood cancer and improve the quality of life of all patients and their families. LLS is focused on accelerating research, providing free support and services, and advocating for policies to ensure access to quality, affordable care. For more than 75 years, LLS has been helping blood cancer patients live longer, better lives.
To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients can contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. Connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
Members of the media seeking more information or an interview, please contact: mediarelations@lls.org.
