Cedarhurst resident raises money and awareness
Sondra Rose named Wonman of the Year by the Long Island Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
When 45-year Cedarhurst resident, Sondra Rose, learned her grandson Jack, then 3 and a half, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in April 2008, she knew she wanted to do something to help him and others faced with similar diagnoses.
Rose, 73, learned about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society from a nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Westchester Medical Center, where her grandson was diagnosed, and decided to raise money by participating in major endurance events and getting sponsors to donate money.
On May 10, the Long Island Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society named Rose the “Woman of the Year” after she raised more than $100,000 for the organization.
“I’m trying to be an advocate for my son and daughter-in-law,” Rose said. “I’m also trying to further the goodwill of the organization and make more people aware of it.”
Since first joining the Society three years ago, Rose has hiked in the Smokey Mountains, completed a 30-mile bike ride in Montauk and completed nine half-marathons, her first was in January 2009 at Disney World.
“It was one of the most exciting moments of my life,” Rose said of the Disney half-marathon.
Nicole Kowaleski, the deputy executive director of the Long Island Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society said Rose was nominated for “Woman of the Year” because she is a great supporter and is one of the top volunteers. “In 10 weeks, she raised $65,000 for the “Woman of the Year” campaign,” Kowaleski said. “She’s very passionate about what she does for our cause and is always talking to others about the Society.”
Rose continues to train in preparation for the Hampton’s Half Marathon in September and she will also be running in the New York City Marathon in November, which will be her first full marathon. When competing in endurance events, Rose said she doesn’t dwell on how long it may take her to finish. “If I have any discomfort,” she said, “I think about what my grandson went through and if I’m not 100 percent comfortable, it’s okay, I’ll get over it.”
