Boy, Girl Serve as Inspiration in Leukemia, Lymphoma Fundraising Contest

A 10-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl are the inspiration for a friendly race in which seven men and women who are vying for a community honor while helping the battle against leukemia and lymphoma.

The men and women are candidates in the Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s 2013 Man and Woman of the Year competition. The man and woman who raise the most by Wednesday's deadline will be saluted at the organization's Grand Finale Gala on Friday at the DoubleTree Hotel in Tarrytown.

The inspiration for the candidates are the society's 2013 Boy and Girl of the Year, who are both battling blood cancers: 11-year-old Frankie Dezell of Pound Ridge, and 10-year-old Simone Schultz of Warwick, NY. Click here to find out more about them.

Friday's ceremony marks the conclusion of a 10-week-long campaign in which the seven candidates have competed by raising money to help the society fund research to find cures and better therapies, as well as provide information and support to blood cancer patients and their families. The competitors are judged solely on their success in fundraising, where every dollar raised counts as one “vote.”

To make a donation to the fundraising efforts, click here.

The male and female candidates with the most “votes,” will be awarded the titles of Man and Woman of the Year accordingly. 

The candidates are:

- Dr. Jonathan Ames, a retired anesthesiologist, from Saddle River, NJ

- Jared Cohen of Palisades, a private wealth advisor

- Joseph Solimine Sr of Pelham and "Team Snooks." He's an insurance advisor at Meridan Risk Management

- Vinny Finnegan of White Plains, a retired police officer

- Ursula McIntyre of Yonkers and "Team Trinity." She's an executive assistant at Empire City Casino in Yonkers.

- Ruth Greer of Rye, a psychotherapist

- Vonnie Sullivan of Mamaroneck, a sales representative at Peridot Fine Jewelry