Farragut teen among pair ‘Rowin’ In Dough’ to fight blood cancer
Joining J P Enkema, a Sequoyah Hills resident, they are working together to raise money for research.
To help raise money for blood cancer research through April 23, students around the country will be running for LLS Student of the Year for the and its mission to cure blood cancers.
Both teens are rowers for Gryphon Crew, REACH Rowing’s high school rowing program. Their shared love for the sport of rowing motivated them to launch their fundraising campaign under the team name “Rowin’ In Dough.”
Bostick and Enkema have personal connections to cancer, which has inspired them both.
Bostick lost her maternal grandfather, Joe Underwood, to chronic lymphocytic leukemia when she was only 1 year old.
Enkema’s maternal grandmother, Jo Ellen Iacovino, currently is undergoing treatment for her Chronic B-Cell lymphocytic leukemia.
While many families are impacted by leukemia and lymphoma every year, LLS strives to provide better care for these patients, along with funding initiative research for improved treatments.
You can donate directly to support LLS research through JP’s and Kailey’s Student of the Year Rowin’ In Dough team website: https://events.lls.org/tn/knoxsoy20/rdough
Blood cancer facts
According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, one person in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer every three minutes. Leukemia and lymphoma are types of blood cancers that today affect more than 1.4 million Americans who are living with or in remission from blood cancers. The good news is that through the help of new cancer therapies, survival rates are better than ever. LLS’s work is changing the lives of not only those living with blood cancer but also those who might suffer from cancer in the future. More than 40% of the new cancer treatment drugs approved by the FDA since 2004 started as drugs for blood cancer treatment and are now being used to treat other forms of cancer.
Ways you can help
Join us for the Hero’s Ride for Leukemia. A significant part of JP and Kailey’s plan of action is the organization of fundraising events throughout their community. For one of their fundraisers, the pair is organizing a family bike riding event on Sunday, April 5, at 1pm. The event, Hero’s Ride For Leukemia, will begin at Echelon Bicycles, 138 West End Ave., in Farragut. All ages and bicycle skill levels are welcome to join JP and Kailey in their fight against blood cancers by participating in the ride. Participants will ride dressed in their favorite Hero Costumes as they pedal their bicycles together along a bike-friendly route, along with the “Grown-Up” Heroes. After the ride, there will be a Hero Costume Contest. The Hub Barbecue wagon will provide food items and refreshments for purchase on the premises. To get more information or to register, drop by the Echelon Bicycle shop or contact Kelly Hamm, owner of the shop, at 865-392-1392.
