28 MAY 2025 By Eliana Ganz In a remarkable demonstration of leadership, giving, and tenacity, teams from Arcadia High, Brophy and Xavier encouraged friends, family members, and local supporters to donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Student Visionaries of the Year campaign. Each year, high school students nationwide are challenged to compete in fundraising for LLS while gaining important leadership experience – and all three took on that challenge with much enthusiasm and commitment. For Garrett Larsen, a sophomore and the leader of “Team Rockin’ Leukemia,” the cause was deeply personal. His father died of acute lymphoblastic leukemia when he was a baby. Throughout the years, LLS was a source of support and financial assistance. “LLS was the backbone of our family,” Garrett said. “When I heard about the Student Visionaries of the Year campaign, I wanted to pay it back.” Setting a robust target of $75,000, Garrett fundraised an incredible $72,254, heading up a 12-strong, multigenerational group of classmates, friends and family members – even his grandmother joined in. Three members of his team individually fundraised over $5,000. Garrett spent more than 150 hours on the campaign, strategically scheduling sponsorship meetings, emailing campaigns, and developing donation strategies. His mission focus was patient education and support, paying homage to the type of assistance his family once utilized. Although he wished he’d had more time for fundraising activities, Garrett learned priceless lessons in follow-up, patience, and persistence. “Whatever it takes a year to learn in school, it takes five weeks as Student Visionaries of the Year,” he reflected. His motivation was still rooted in legacy, running the campaign his father had initiated years ago under the same name. “It brought us close together… he’s a guardian angel,” Garrett said. Meanwhile, Xavier junior Logan Duncan co-led the O Negative Team with students Leighton Fig and Lexi Wahlberg (who attends Perry High). They tallied a record- breaking $232,907 donation, one of the greatest fundraising totals in the Greater Phoenix campaign’s history. They utilized targeted outreach via emails, telephone calls, and high-level meetings – specifically, a compelling pitch to Sunbelt Rentals’ national sponsorship team. During challenges with slowdowns in fundraising and balancing academics and athletics, Logan credited successes to the determination of her team and community support. “We were so blessed to have been matched with some of the most generous people in the Valley,” she said. Her team had five members who raised over $5,000. Katie Dodd, Leila Teufel and Emma Nett’s journey with the Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign began in their freshman year of high school, when they were invited to join a team led by fellow Arcadia students. They were inspired by the mission and impact of LLS, and although they weren’t personally connected to a specific blood cancer story, the cause was deeply moving. “Learning the stories about how these young teens have had to face cancer was a tremendous leading factor,” Emma said. “No one should have to endure the pain that blood cancer brings.” To raise funds, the trio focused on building a strong, committed team. They organized meetings, reached out for sponsorships, and strategized creative ways to stay motivated. One major opportunity came when they were selected – like Xavier and one out of six teams – to pitch to Sunbelt Rentals for sponsorship, which they successfully secured. “Some of the most successful fundraising activities were the incentives for our team. For example, the first five people to raise over 500 dollars got a $75 Visa gift card,” Emma said. “We also held mini incentives like an AJ’s iced tea for the first person to raise $50 on a certain day.” Community engagement was a key part of the campaign. Hope Heals (the trio’s team name) reached out to businesses, leveraged personal contacts, and used Instagram to spread awareness and gain support. One of their biggest challenges came mid-campaign, when several members hadn’t raised any funds. Through strategic planning and added motivation, they turned things around and kept everyone engaged. In total, the group raised $60,256, surpassing their $50,000 goal. “Beyond the title, the biggest reward from this experience is knowing that our efforts are making a significant difference in blood cancer research,” Emma said. “We brought our community together for an amazing cause and helped the efforts to stop the effect blood cancer has on families around the world.” The New Mexico and Arizona campaigns generated over $708,000, a testimony to students’ dedication, purpose, and passion. Most well said by Garrett himself, “Philanthropy…it’s a way of life.” llsstudentvisionaries.org Young philanthropists help raise $700K for LLS Leighton Fig, Logan Duncan and Lexi Wahlberg. Katie Dodd, Leila Teufel and Emma Nett. PHOTO COURTESY OF XAVIER PREP PHOTO COURTESY OF EMMA NETT