Students Raise $39k for Cancer Care and Cure

Last spring, Harry Corrigan ’26 and Tripp Carven ’26 participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Student Visionary of the Year campaign. Their team consisted of six students and four parents, and they were one of 22 teams from New England. This seven-week fundraising campaign aimed to raise money and awareness for blood cancer, but from it, Harry and Tripp both walked away with enhanced leadership and teamwork skills and a deeper desire to help those who live with cancer.

At the beginning of the campaign, LLS staff provided Harry and Tripp with a list of “honored heroes” to motivate them on their fundraising journey. “We were cheered on by a little girl named Ruby who suffers from B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia,” says Tripp. “She and her mom would send videos letting us know how she was doing and thanking us for our service.” For Harry, meeting Ruby and witnessing her inability to walk was a challenging experience. “It was tough to see her in person,” he says. “It was definitely a bit heart breaking.” They were both moved by her story, which became their primary motivation to raise as much money as possible. They branded all their efforts under the name, “Hawks Battle Cancer.”

This experience offered them valuable leadership opportunities. “Tripp and I were the ones building our team, setting up the Zoom meetings, sending out letters. It was a lot,” explains Harry. They used templates to contact their team, sent out email blasts, and posted on social media. “We were really trying to get the word out to everyone,” he says. Harry and Tripp’s team had an original fundraising goal of $25,000 and they had doubts about reaching it. “We didn’t think we were going to raise that much money, but we did,” says Harry. In fact, they blew their goal out of the water, raising a total of $39,000 in the seven-week period.

Looking back, Harry and Tripp say they were particularly affected by the generosity displayed by others and their willingness to support a meaningful cause. “Most people in this world are good, and I feel lucky to have seen it firsthand through this campaign,” says Tripp. “So many people donated to my campaign, and it was really touching to receive each and every donation and kind message.” For Harry, it was a learning experience about giving back. He says, “The whole experience just opened our eyes - not only about how good you feel when you help people in need, but also about how much of an impact you can make.”

Both young men intend to continue their efforts in the future. “I plan to stay involved in cancer awareness and fundraising,” says Tripp. “I want to do at least one fundraiser a year,” agrees Harry. “I think we are going to increase our goal to $50,000 next year.”