| Last updated on June 18, 2007 |
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the world's largest private health organization dedicated to finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and to improving the lives of patients and their families.
Description:
Our office is located in San Francisco, our chapter covers Northern California, San Francisco and the East Bay. We have Team In Training events that start four times a year. Contact us at www.teamintraining.org/ncd to sign up for one of our events. Yearly we host the KGO Cure-A-Thon, the 2006 event is scheduled for March 24th and 25th. Our Napa Invitational Golf Classic is an annual event scheduled for August 25th 2006. We will need volunteers for these special events.
History:
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was born out of a family's grief following the death of their teenage son. Robert Roesler de Villiers (left), son of a well-to-do New York family, was only 16 when he quickly succumbed to leukemia in 1944. Five years later, frustrated by the lack of effective treatments for what was then considered a hopeless disease, parents Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers started a fundraising and education organization in their son's name.
Headquartered in a small Wall Street office, the Robert Roesler de Villiers Foundation had only a few volunteers and a tiny budget. The task was daunting. Most leukemia patients, especially children, died within three months. Even by the mid-1950s, when the first generation chemotherapy drugs began appearing, the disease remained a stubborn challenge. The Foundation reported in its 1955 annual report: "As of this date, Leukemia is 100% fatal. This is almost a unique situation among the many diseases to which man is susceptible."
Driven by the de Villiers' nearly boundless belief that leukemia and other blood cancers were indeed curable, the Foundation grew steadily, opening its first chapters in the New York City area. The organization, after changing its name to The Leukemia Society, was renamed The Leukemia Society of America in the 1960s to communicate a broad, national reach.
21st Century Growth
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which changed its name from the Leukemia Society of America in 2000 to reflect its commitment to curing all blood cancers, is proud to be playing a major role in the fight against leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. In 1993, Dwayne Howell joined the organization as President and CEO, developing new initiatives that have strengthened the Society's role as the leading private funder of blood cancer research and provider of programs for patients and their families.
With the help of major fundraising campaigns, including Team In Training, the world's largest endurance sports training program, and Light The Night Walk, the Society has supported more than $360 million in research since 1949.
The commitment to cutting-edge science has contributed to an unprecedented rise in survival rates for some blood cancers. The relative five-year survival rate for people with leukemia, for example, has tripled in the past 40 years. Hodgkin lymphoma is now considered one of the most curable forms of cancer, thanks to radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of the two.
A triumvirate of new research programs is already creating tomorrow's treatments and perhaps laying the groundwork for the ultimate cures:
The Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) - the Society's largest and most innovative research initiative - emphasizes collaboration across universities, labs and national boundaries.
The Translational Research Program (TRP) supports research that shows strong promise for translating basic biomedical knowledge to new treatments that will ultimately prolong and enhance patients' lives.
The Career Development Program provides stipends to investigators in the early stages of their careers.
Through its 63 chapters nationwide, the Society offers a wide variety of educational and patient services. They include First Connection, which links newly diagnosed patients to a peer volunteer who has experienced a similar diagnosis; Meet the Expert on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Meet the Doctor programs; teleconferences and Webcasts; support groups; information on the latest clinical trials and treatments; patient financial aid; workshops that address survivorship issues; and an award-winning Web site (www.LLS.org).
With its popular Information Resource Center, the Society connects patients, families and caregivers to oncology nurses and social workers. In 2003, the Society made more than 445,000 patient contacts, helping people find lifesaving and supportive information through every phase of their illness.
"We've come so far since the 1940s, when almost no one survived leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma," says Howell. "Thanks to yesterday's milestones and today's innovations, including Gleevec, so many people are overcoming blood cancer. Thanks to the Society's wealth of programs, patients and their families have an abundance of resources at their fingertips. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is right there helping, just as we've been since 1949."
Contact person: Norman Hicks, Operations Manager, (phone), (email)
Main office number: (415) 625-1100
Office fax number: (415) 625-1155
Address:
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1390 Market Street, Suite 1200
San Francisco, CA 94102
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.lls.org/ncd
Directions:
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We are located in the Fox Plaza building, on the corner of Market and Polk Street. There is parking in the Fox Plaza building, you enter the garage on the Hayes Street side of the building. We are close to the San Francisco Civic Center.
Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 am - 5 pm.
Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Bart/Civic Center,
Walk distance (in minutes): 2
Nearest Bus Stop: For Bus routes go to, http://transit.511.org, 1 minute walk |
Miscellaneous Information
| Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency? |
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Spanish
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| What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency? |
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16
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| Is your agency wheelchair accessible? |
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Yes
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| Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10? |
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Yes
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| Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20? |
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Yes
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