Luminary Nominees

The purpose of life is a life of purpose. This small phrase, is the reason I volunteered to be the Relay After Dark Mission Lead and a Luminary Nominee.

At 15 years old, I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer and became a pediatric cancer patient. My battle with cancer was quick but potent, as I endured a day long surgery that resulted in my inability to speak, eat, and breathe (vocal cord paralysis). The longevity of my complications were unknown, and I, at 15 years old, was faced with the social, financial, emotional, and medical uncertainty that cancer brings.

Nearly 14 years after my diagnosis, I can thankfully say that I survived. My vocal paralysis eventually went away, I moved to New York, became an attorney (where I talk a lot), and have been in remission since I was 16. I have refused to let cancer define me.

However, I am not oblivious to the fact that I am not cured. I, like many of my fellow cancer patients/survivors, will forever endure the social, financial, emotional, physical, and medical costs that cancer has brought into our lives. Cancer does not discriminate.

Even though I cannot erase the toll that cancer has taken on so many people, I believe that my survivorship should be meaningful, purposeful. No family should have to bury their loved one; choose between their mortgage or cancer treatment; or wonder how they will put food on their table during treatment.

I relay for me. I relay for the cancer survivors who sit anxiously at their routine check up, wondering if their cancer is back. I relay for the children who are stolen too young.

I don’t expect to change the world, but in the cancer world, a little sunshine never hurt.

Support Elizabeth here!

As an avid supporter of the American Cancer Society for over 15 years, I have seen first hand the impact that raising money and support for the organization has produced. I first became involved with the Determination program in 2007 in Chicago as a marathon runner and then months later helped to found the New York Chapter of Determination. At the time we were a bunch of 20 something’s figuring out how to get a program lifted off the ground from nothing. We thought hey lets run and drink – 2 things we know our friends would love. Within a year we had raised over $300,000 and these days the program has become a multi-million dollar fundraising machine worldwide. But I also wanted to contribute more, realizing that the only way younger people could get involved was to run 26.2 miles and raise $5,000 plus every year. I knew there had to be a way to get people involved without such imposing barriers every year. I joined the emerging Junior Board of New York as well as a young professional consultant to the Hope Lodge Bash Committee to help vitalize the After-party component of the event. These days I am a full time committee member to the Hope Lodge as well as the Social chair to the Young Professionals Network and the liaison to the New York Board.

I am active in Volunteering with ACS because I know of all the great things they have had their hand in – from advocacy to groundbreaking treatments to spending time with patients at the Hope Lodge, I can see all of our hard work persevering. In my spare time, I work in the fast paced world of real estate as an Associate sales broker at Brown Harris Stevens. I am often running along the Hudson river, pushing weights at the gym, enjoying a beverage and a sports game with friends, and cheering on the Texas Longhorns and the New York Yankees. I know that by advocating as a Luminary, I can bring more awareness to my social group about all the great things the American Cancer Society does and the importance of where our money goes in the fight against cancer!

Support Ira here!

Unfortunately, almost all of us have a cancer story - ourselves, family, and friends. Cancer has turned my world upside down, time and time again, affecting some of the most important people in my life. Because of this, I feel called to action and compelled to fight against cancer in any way I can - short of becoming a doctor (hey, I am scared of blood!). American Cancer Society gives me the opportunity to do just that, as I am raising funds to sustain critical research and provide services for people trying to cope with their cancer experience. In addition to running the 2024 NYC Marathon with ACS’s Team DetermiNation, I am an ACS Luminary Nominee for Relay After Dark. I am grateful to be a part of the ACS Young Professional Network, where we are not only united in our goal to eliminate cancer, but also bonded through shared experiences. Together, we can fight cancer. Thank you for your support!

Support Martina here!