Join Andie Summers’ Tasty Talk for LLS
Hi! I’m Andie Summers and I am excited to be the featured speaker for May’s Tasty Talk. My talk will be about making a difference and it will benefit LLS. The Leukemia Lymphoma Society is an organization that gave my sister an extra 10 years, and connected me with some amazing people. Some of whom you will get to meet at the lunch! Please attend. I promise to make it worth it. Details are here, and keep scrolling for my story …
How It All Started
When I was growing up, my parents were involved in a lot of activities. They coached and managed and served on boards. My father was a strong believer in serving others. He was a Marine, and also served by participating in charity walks and donating blood. It is how my sisters and I were raised and it is how I have lived my life.
About 10 years ago, an acquaintence of mine reached out and asked if I was interested in helping out her latest endeavour. I knew Lauren because she used to work with my husband at the Philadelphia Eagles, but had switched jobs and started working for LLS. They were bringing their Big Climb fundraiser to Philadelphia and she thought I would be a good fit for the event.
I had never heard of LLS, but am always up for an opportunity to do something for the community, so we met and I learned that LLS stands for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My oldest sister Debbie was diagnosed with Lymphoma just about a month before Lauren called. Talk about a God wink. I told Lauren I would happily do anything they needed me to do, as long as they saved my sister.
How LLS Saved My Sister
That following year saw my sister travel between her home in Northeastern Pennsylvania and Fox Chase Cancer Center. She was in and out for chemo and radiation. She spent weeks if not months for in-patient treatment which included a stem-cell transplant; the research for such a procedure was funded by LLS.
The following year, I signed up for Big Climb and Debbie climbed with me. After that, I raised over $90,000 for LLS when I ran for Visionary of the Year. And through these events, I met others who are as grateful as I am for the work LLS does.
One of the hardest things about being a cancer survivor is never knowing if or when that ugly disease will rear its head again. For Debbie, it happened late last year. I immediately got on the phone with my LLS contacts who helped guide us through tough decisions.
We lost Debbie on March 17, 2024.
Have you ever lost a sibling? I was not ready for the hole in my heart, my soul, my being. But I am at peace knowing that the money raised for efforts like Big Climb and Visionary of the Year are what gave Debbie an extra 10 years with her husband. With her daughters. She was able to meet three of her grandchildren. And I have another decade of beautiful memories with my beautiful sister.
Connecting Through LLS
Through my own service for LLS, I have met some beautiful people who made a lasting impression on my life. One of them is Heather Fuller. Heather is one of those people who is as beautiful inside as she is out. She is a cancer survivor and a warrior. And has dedicated her efforts in this year’s Big Climb to Debbie’s memory.
I am speaking at the Tasty Talks luncheon on Wednesday, May 8th and proceeds from the event will benefit Heather as she takes on the steps at Lincoln Financial Field in this year’s Big Climb.
At the lunch, Heather will sell raffle tickets for a basket full of goodies and all the money benefits LLS. If you cannot make the lunch, you can make a difference by making a donation HERE.
