Shenendehowa Girls Basketball Senior Kaitlyn Hansen is fighting for a cause this season. Hansen is running for student Visionary of the Year campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, or LLS. 

With the help of her teammates, Hansen is running the “Blessed to Fight” campaign. The money that she raises will go directly to the research of blood cancer to help find better treatments and eventually a cure.

Hansen’s inspiration behind the campaign is her dad, who passed away when she was four from Multiple Myeloma. Her hope is that no family has to lose their loved one to cancer. 

Hansen ran this campaign in 2022 and raised $56,000. Her goal this year is to double that amount. She plans to continue supporting the cause in the coming years. Although she can’t run for Student Visionary of the Year after this year, she plans to run for Visionary of the Year after college when she is older. 

The campaign runs from January 18th to March 17 this year. 

One of the main ways Hansen has been spreading the word about her campaign is through social media. She has created an instagram account where she shares information on the different aspects of the campaign. Hansen has also been sending emails to various companies and is working on contacting the local news. 

Hansen said the team has been “very involved and supportive.” 

“We have held many team meetings to organize emails for sponsorships and to help plan and run various fundraisers,” said Hansen. 

Gwen Ford, junior at Shenendehowa, is working to set up a fundraising class at Orange Theory as one way to raise money for the cause. 

“I tried to reach out to family and had my mom post on Facebook about the campaign to spread the word,” said Ford. 

Gianna Winter, sophomore, said she is working with different companies and trying to get them involved in the campaign. Winter and her teammates are also putting together two fundraisers, one at Blaze Pizza and the other at 16 Handles. 

“It’s nice to help other people and be involved in an important cause,” said Winter. 

“The campaign is a prime example of how little things make a big difference when you work together as a team,” said Ford. 

The campaign is almost at the mid-way point, and Hansen and the team are hoping to reach their goal. 

“It’s really an important cause. A lot of people go through it, so if we get even a small chance to cure it, that will help a lot of people,” said Winter.