Two Weill Cornell faculty members, Dr. Ruben Niesvizky and Dr. Ellen Ritchie, are participating in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Man and Woman of the Year campaign, an annual 10-week fundraising competition that has generated more than $64 million since 1998.
Dr. Ruben Niesvizky
This is the first year of participation for both Dr. Niesvizky, associate professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and director of the Multiple Myeloma Service at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Dr. Ritchie, the Madoff Family Clinical Scholar in Hematology-Oncology at Weill Cornell Medical College and a physician at NYP/Weill Cornell.
By accepting the nomination, which comes from peers, Drs. Niesvizky and Ritchie will have 10 weeks to raise a minimum of $20,000. The New York City chapter's inaugural 2011 campaign, which includes Drs. Niesvizky and Ritchie, is aiming to raise a total of $500,000. The campaign will culminate with a celebration naming the Man and Woman of the Year at the Grand Finale Gala at Epace, a gallery and event space on West 42nd Street, in May.
"We were inspired to do this for our patients," says Dr. Ritchie, who treats patients with leukemia and bone marrow failure. "These foundations give grant money for the support of basic science and clinical research, and as federal support becomes more and more difficult to come by, the importance of fundraising efforts such as these are magnified."
To kick start their effort, Drs. Niesvizky and Ritchie are hosting a cocktail party and raffle April 29 at the Cornell Club.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.
For more information, visit nyc.mwoy.llsevent.org/Ruben and nyc.mwoy.llsevent.org/EllenRitchie.