Corey Ribotsky Info

Sometimes, all it takes is one person and an idea. In early 1988, Bruce Cleland of Towson, Maryland gathered friends together to train for the New York City marathon – and to do so while raising funds for blood cancer research. His daughter, who was five at the time, was battling leukemia. Cleland and his friends ended up donating $320,000 that year to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where so many donors, like Corey Ribotsky, help to make a difference.

And with ihs efforts, the Team In Training program was born. LLS asked Cleland to replicate the idea that he had in 1988 in other locations, and he slowly created the Team In Training model.

Now, Georgia Cleland, that little girl who was given a 55% chance of survival, just finished her first half-marathon with Team In Training. And, thanks to her father’s idea, the Team In Training program has reached over half a million people who have trained in the last 23 years and has raised more than $1.2 billion in research.

On September 27 from 1.00pm to 2.30pm, an online lecture will take place on leukemia and lymphoma.  Corey Ribotsky has been working with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) – supporting its vital work – for many years.  This conference is just one way of increasing awareness and educating the public in the hope of preventive care.

Topics covered at the lecture will be: myeloma diagnosis and stages; early signs and symptoms of myeloma; treatments available for myeloma and what is currently in the works and should be available in the future; how clinical trials can help in developing treatment for myeloma in the future and lastly, for those individuals suffering from myeloma, their quality of life and how to improve it.

The speaker is Asher A. Chanan-Khan, MD, Chair Of Hematology And Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.  This is an LLS-sponsored program which has the support of grants from the Celgene Corporation, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Get ready for this month’s important awareness month for leukemia and lymphoma.  September is the annual month marking leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma awareness.  There have been significant strides in the treatment of patients with blood cancers in the last few years.  Much of this work has been supported by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) where Corey Ribotsky volunteers.  The organization was founded in 1949.

According to survivor Nikki Henshaw, the work of the LLS is only to be commended. She stated quite clearly, “I have personally seen the progress in cure rates and treatments from when I experienced leukemia in 1994.These changes have dramatically improved the quality of life for those who are battling cancer.”

Indeed, the statistics speak for themselves.  In the last four decades, there has been an 87 percent increase in the survival rate of children who contract acute lymphocytic leukemia, from 3 percent to 90 percent.  As well, since the 1960s, there has been a doubling in the survival rate of Hodgkin lymphoma patient survival.

Still there is much work to be done and the LLS requires substantial finances and volunteers to keep up with its good work.

This year, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) 2011 Man & Woman of the Year campaign raised more money that it ever has in the 21 year history of the program.  The campaign offers people the title of 2011 Man of the Year and 2011 Woman of the Year for the people who raise the most money in a ten week time period for the LLS.  Certainly, fundraisers of this sort and donors like Corey Ribotsky enable the LLS to continue their important cancer research work.

This year’s campaign raised $14.5 million, which is $2.7 million more than the high reached last year.  650 candidates competed to raise the most money. The winners were New York City classic rock DJ Ian O’Malley and Kelley LaFontaine of LaFontaine Automotive Group in Highland, Michigan.

It’s always good to volunteer somewhere. It’s a great way of giving back and – at the same time – really feeling good about yourself as you are doing something so useful.  That is what Corey Ribotsky does in his involvement in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Recent news from the LLS was their Light The Night Walk, which took place nationwide and does so each fall.  It is a way for those involved in the organization to make money for those fighting blood cancers.  Individuals and corporations come together to enjoy good “food, live music and entertainment.”  At the end of the day as night descends, the Walk starts and the night is enlightened with walkers carrying gold, red and white balloons in “honor of cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle.”
What’s also great about engaging in the important work of the LLS – apart from the obvious – is that business leaders can actually use it as a way to “positively impact their companies” as was explained by those running the show.

In recent news for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which the NIR Group and Corey Ribotsky contribute to, award-winning actor Michael C. Hall was just named the lead Ambassador for the 2011 Light the Night Walks.  This event is intended to raise money for high-impact cancer research and essential patient services.

Hall is appearing in a new public service announcement campaign that it entitled “Walk As If Your Life Depended on It” which is produced and directed by filmmaker Jesse Dylan.  Hall shares his own personal experience with Hodgkin lymphoma.

As Hall explained, “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society pours a tremendous amount of money directly into cutting-edge cancer research - research that I’ve certainly benefited from. It’s an organization that you can be confident is at the forefront of moving things forward.”

This amazing video (http://www.diamonddash.com/) shows some of the highlights of The Michael C. Fina Diamond Dash that took place recently to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Each year, Michael C. Fina hosts this brilliant event, sending up to 500 couples running around New York City on a scavenger hunt. The winners receive a $20,000 Tacori engagement ring, a 5 day all-inclusive honeymoon to Aventura Spa Palace in Riviera Maya in the Mexican Caribbean and more.

The best part of the event is that the entire event benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  With each couple donating $100, and with many sponsors of the event, the entire day is a fun way to benefit the organization that does so much to fight cancer.

Certainly, this is one of the many creative ways that donors of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, like Corey Ribotsky of the NIR Group, show their support.

In recent news with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where Corey Ribotsky and the NIR Group are donors, World Cup soccer hero Landon Donovan launched a TEN day challenge.  The purpose of the challenge was to help cure cancer through donations.  All people had to do was text “GOAL” to 90999 to donate ten dollars to help children through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

As Donovan explained, “I’ve always been focused on “The Goal”. That’s why I’ve joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to BrighTEN the Future with a TEN day challenge to help raise money to conquer childhood cancer.”

His TEN day challenge ran from August 16-26, 2010.

In a wonderful show of support, the CEO of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, John Walter, shaved off all of his hair as part of the Totally Baldacious campaign. The organization has, so far, raised $30,000 to help support cancer research and patient services.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is able to increase its cancer research and patient services as a result of fundraisers of this sort and of the generous support from people like Corey Ribotsky of the NIR Group. Enjoy this video, watching the CEO go baldacious!