Rocco & Siobhan Raise $188K for LLS
By Katie McFadden
The Student Visionaries of the Year campaign has come to an end and team Been There Beat That, led by young leukemia survivors Rocco Pisani and Siobhan O’Sullivan, raised $188,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
When the campaign launched in January, Pisani, of Broad Channel, and O’Sullivan, of Rockaway, and their large team, Been There Beat That, hit the ground running in their fundraising efforts. From collaborating with local small businesses, to selling raffle tickets, hosting a concert and much more, the teens found many creative ways to raise every penny they could for the organization that helped them through their own cancer battles, LLS. Pisani and O’Sullivan worked hard to spread awareness about leukemia and to raise funds to help LLS conduct research to find better treatment options for kids like them facing similar battles.
The campaign came to an end on March 15, culminating in a gala for all fundraising teams, where the winner was announced. This year, the NYC teams competing for Student Visionaries of the Year broke a record, raising $1,274,415 combined. Throughout the campaign, the teams had a 10-year-old named Kalvin from the Bronx, cheering them on and motivating them to raise as much as they could throughout the fundraising effort, as Honored Hero. Unfortunately, during that process, Kalvin relapsed, serving as an even bigger reminder of the importance of the effort and what LLS does to help those going through their battles.
While Pisani and O’Sullivan didn’t win Student Visionaries of the Year, they did come in as runner up, and they are proud of their efforts. “Our team worked hard, and we are proud of not just how much money we raised but the awareness we spread. Thank you to all of you who contributed to our seven-week campaign to raise money for LLS and support the effort to put an end to blood cancer,” team Been There Beat That posted to Instagram.
