Todd Stiefel and Robb Taylor share their reasons for supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
By Administrator
Todd Stiefel is a big name in the secular community, known especially for his philanthropic work. He is the president and founder of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that has donated more than $3.5 million to secular charities. The Stiefel family has pledged to match the first $500,000 Foundation Beyond Belief teams raise for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night walks. So it is with great pleasure that we give you Todd’s own explanation, in conjunction with Robb Taylor, about his personal connection to this important work. (Transcript below the video.)
Todd Stiefel: Hi, my name is Todd Stiefel.
Robb Taylor: And I’m Robb Taylor.
Todd Stiefel: Eight members of my family have had cancer. And of those, some of them are survivors, and some of them are victims. Two of the people, my uncle and grandfather, died from lymphoma itself. My great-uncle died from a combination of both leukemia and lymphoma. These are particularly nasty diseases. When it comes to cancer, if we haven’t had it ourselves, we know someone who has, which is why it is so important for all of us to get involved and do something to fight back against this horrific disease.
Robb Taylor: I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in January of 2008. I went through ten months of chemo, and now, four years later, I am cancer free. I would not be sitting here today in this chair if it were not for the efforts of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They stepped in with support systems and people who have gone through this for me to speak with and talk to at any time of the day. They helped me with money for rent. They helped me to put gas in my car so I could drive myself to chemo. When I lost my job because I couldn’t work because I was sick, I didn’t have enough food to eat in my kitchen. My parents were doing what they could—friends and family—but it wasn’t enough sometimes. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was there for me. And it’s not because I’m so special or so unique—they do this for everyone.
Todd Stiefel: This is why I’m particularly passionate about it. Between my wife and my father and all the others—if you know someone who has cancer, they need your love and support. But they also need the help of amazing organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society .
We need your help. Everyone out there listening: We can’t depend on other people to help. We need you personally to go to the link on your screen and join our team as a fundraiser. Literally, joining the team and spending five minutes of your time sending emails to friends and family can raise hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.
Robb Taylor: And the money that we raise goes to the patients. And if you can’t donate, spread the words and create that butterfly effect. Because you never know who will hear it and be able to donate and pass it on to the next friend.
Todd Stiefel: We actually have a matching challenge right now, where any money you raise or donate to our cause will be matched, until we hit our goal of one million dollars. Please join with the Foundation Beyond Belief in our quest to beat cancer with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.