Baker Tilly US supports Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Blood cancers affect an estimated 1,185,053 people in the US. To combat the disease, through research, education and advocacy, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was formed in 1949. As part of its fundraising measures, the society throws its Annual Leukemia Ball. Baker Tilly US served as a Mission Sponsor to the ball this year and Managing Director Ed Offterdinger co-chaired the event.
The US-based Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) was founded in 1949 to find a cure blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, as well as improve the quality of life of patients and their families. The not-for-profit organisation has a budget of around $315 million, employs around 1,400 staff, and can build on the support of around 3 million volunteers. Besides supporting research into curing blood cancer, the LLS also provides a wide range of educational resources on blood cancer and actively lobbies for policies that improve patient outcomes.
As part of its fundraising activities, the LLS each year throws its Annual Leukemia Ball. This year’s ball, held on the 12th of March, was the LLS’ 29th such event. The event has become the largest non-political black tie event in the national capital region, this year attracting more than 2,000 attendees. In total this year’s event collected $3.25 million for the LLS.
One of the co-chairs of this year’s event was Baker Tilly’s Managing Director Ed Offterdinger. The firm has had a fifteen year partnership with the LLS, and this year was a Mission Sponsor to the Leukemia Ball. Offterdinger’s involvement, he reflects, was more personal: “When I was 13 I had a close friend with leukemia; I couldn’t do anything to help him then, so I’m grateful to have the opportunity to help so many others now. The LLS is doing life-saving work, and we’re proud to support them.”
Todd Stokes, Baker Tilly’s office managing partner – DC metro area, adds: “The accomplishments of LLS have been amazing. Baker Tilly is proud to play a role in supporting LLS’ mission and Ed’s commitment as this year’s Leukemia Ball co-chair. The survival rates for blood cancers have increased dramatically over the past two decades, in no small part because of research funded by LLS.”