Peters Township ’ s Hannah Henn raises money to help Leukemia & Lymphoma Society .
BY JENNIFER BROZAK
Each year , students from all across the country join
forces as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society ’ s Student of the Year program , a philanthropic leadership competition that aims to collect donations to fight blood cancers .
This year , 17-year-old Hannah Henn of Peters Township is one of those select students .
Hannah , a senior at Oakland Catholic High School , is captain of Team Kickin ’ Cancer , one of 17 teams from the Pittsburgh area participating in the seven-week fundraising program . She has a diverse team of 10 , which includes students and adults from various schools across Pittsburgh , as well as from Ohio and Indianapolis . The team ’ s name is representative of Hannah ’ s love of soccer — half of her LLS team ’ s members are part of her extended soccer family .
Hannah first became involved with the LLS in 2017 , after her mother invited her to walk with her at an LLS Light the Night event in memory of her grandmother , a breast cancer survivor who passed away in 2017 from an aggressive form of lymphoma . After listening to stories of survivors at the Light the Night ceremony , Hannah decided to contribute to the cause , and began to raise money . That first year , she raised $ 300 in memory of her grandmother .
“ This cause is so special to me because it serves as a reminder of my grandma , who was the most selfless woman I have known — and an incredible cook ,” said Hannah . “ It benefits not only people with cancer , but also their families and the rest of the community .”
Student of the Year participants have a fundraising goal of $ 10,000 . Hannah ’ s fundraising campaign officially kicks off on Feb . 5 , but she already has fundraising plans in the works .
“ I ’ m fortunate that my mother ’ s company , PNC , matches gifts , so she ’ ll be the first person I ask to support this cause — that way I start off with my first ‘ yes !” said Henn .
“ I don ’ t want to set my sights low ,” Hannah adds , pointing out that Claire Katz , who was last year ’ s top Student of the Year participant in Pittsburgh and is also Hannah ’ s mentor , raised more than $ 82,000 . Last year , in the Pittsburgh area alone , program participants raised more than $ 242,500 .
Hannah became aware of the Student of the Year program after her mother , Denise Henn , encouraged her to apply . Denise joined the LLS in 2016 and serves as a co-captain of Team Addie in Pittsburgh , which is part of a larger Light the Night team from Nashville . The team was formed by actor and musician Chip
Esten and his wife Patty Puskar , whose daughter , Addie , was diagnosed with leukemia at 2-1 / 2 years old .
“ I was touched and inspired by Chip and Patty ’ s personal story ,” said Denise . “ Addie is now 21 , healthy and a member of the William and Mary women ’ s soccer team . Hannah aspires to play soccer in college as well , which made Addie ’ s story really hit home .”
To the Henn family , the fight against cancer is a personal one . Denise is also a breast cancer survivor , and she has what she calls a “ long family history ” of different types of cancers .
“ I ’ ve always felt strongly that it is important to give back . I ’ m so proud that Hannah has embraced this mission as well . It ’ s so special for me to share this experience with her and witness her enthusiasm and compassion ,” said Denise Henn .
Denise said she chose to become involved with LLS because of its extensive reach .
“ The fact is blood cancer research leads to treatment advances for other cancers and serious diseases . Also , LLS has funded more than 60 percent of the blood cancer therapies being used to treat other cancers ,” she said .
This year ’ s fundraising efforts will be even more challenging because of the COVID-19 pandemic . Denise said that the students ’ fundraising efforts will help them gain “ real life experiences ” that will benefit them as they move past high school .
“ The students that participate work extremely hard . To be successful , they need organizational and communication skills ,” said Denise . “ They need to be innovative , particularly when they must do things remotely , and they must think strategically and be good time managers . They need to persevere in the face of adversity — they need to soldier on , even if they get a ‘ no .’”
Hannah , who plans to study biology and neurology in college , wants to continue volunteering with the LLS throughout college and her career . Currently working toward a Division 1 soccer scholarship , she is also part of the mentorship program at Oakland Catholic High School , which helps incoming freshman adjust to high school .
“ Giving back to the community is something I hope to do for the rest of my life ,” Hannah said .
To donate or track Hannah ’ s progress , you can visit her fundraising page from Feb . 5 to March 26 at events . lls . org / wpa / wpasoy21 / hhenny . To learn more about the Student of the Year program , visit studentsoftheyear . org . n
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