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It is hard to believe 10 years have passed since we lost our beloved son, Andrew Smith, to a difficult blood cancer. To honor this Butler University basketball standout and Academic All-American’s legacy, we are joining this year’s Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) “Visionaries of the Year” fundraising campaign.
Blood Cancer United is a national nonprofit very active in central Indiana that works to find cures for blood cancers and to assist patients and families as they battle this disease.
From kickoff on Feb. 26 to the grand finale on May 8, our team goal is to raise $50,000. The money raised helps Blood Cancer United fund research to advance lifesaving treatments; drive advocacy for policies that protect patient access to these treatments; and provide patients and families with hope, guidance and support.
During Andrew’s two-year battle with lymphoblastic lymphoma, we especially benefited from the close support and prayers of our family, friends and the Butler University community. Our church families, both Traders Point Christian Church and College Park Church, were especially attentive and helpful during our darkest days.
We know not all families enjoy such supportive networks, so we hope these funds will provide care to other patients and families in the midst of a cancer fight. That’s what is motivating us in the “friendly competition” to bring resources into Blood Cancer United of Central Indiana in Andrew’s honor.
And Andrew certainly loved competition, playing in two NCAA national championship games for Butler and joining a European basketball team after many tryouts with NBA basketball teams here in America following his graduation in 2013.
More people suffer from this malady than you might guess. Nationwide, about 200,000 people at any given time suffer from this disease, with about 20,000 new cases annually. That translates to perhaps 4,000 Hoosiers fighting this illness, a fight that typically involves the entire family and extended networks.
In Indianapolis alone, more than $2.5 million was given to Indiana University and Purdue University over the past decade for research. In the past program year, Blood Cancer United provided nearly $2.3 million for personal assistance here in the Hoosier State.
At the national level, Blood Cancer United has invested more than $1.8 billion in research, supported 540,000 families with financial grants and helped advance 70% of the new blood cancer treatments since 2016. That’s an impressive body of work.
If you want to join our team and honor Andrew, here’s how to make your tax-deductible contribution by May 8:
◗ Visit our campaign website to donate online: pages.lls.org/voy/in/indy26/csmith.
◗ Mail your tax-deductible contribution to me at P.O. Box 741, Westfield, Indiana 46074. Please make checks payable to Blood Cancer United and print Curt Smith in the memo section.
We thank you in advance for partnering with a campaign so close to our heart. Please remember, every dollar counts. To make your donation go further, check to see whether your company matches charitable gifts.
You can easily make a donation from your donor-advised fund via the DAFpay button on my fundraising page. Please add my first and last name and VOY in the notes section, which will ensure your donation is applied to our team’s total.
We all deal with grief in unique ways. I learned this lesson from hard experience. One way I cope with my grief is to help others carry their burdens and losses. Please join me in helping us carry one another’s burdens.•
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Smith is chairman of the Indiana Family Institute and author of “Deicide: Why Eliminating
The Deity is Destroying America.” Send comments to [email protected].
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