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Sterling man aims to be top cancer fundraiser
For the next eight weeks, Dan Cole will basically eat, sleep and breathe fundraising.
Cole, of Potomac Falls, is one of nine people from around the Washington, D.C., area competing for the title of Man of the Year from the local chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Whoever can raise the most money for the organization by June 14 will win. The competition started April 10.
“It’s a great cause, and it helps promote donation,” said Cole, 42. “Fundraising is very important. It allows me to get outside of myself. It puts things in perspective.”
Rebecca Lestner, spokeswoman for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, said the National Capital Area chapter has been participating in the Man of the Year (and its parallel Woman of the Year) campaign for the last five years.
This year, the goal is to raise more money than ever – $1 million, she said.
Men and women from chapters all over the country compete at the same time. Lestner said they think of all kinds of ways to raise money and awareness, including poker tournaments, date auctions and golf events.
Cole said he is prepared to do anything necessary to raise as much as he can for the organization.
“We’ll involve the community, sell raffle tickets and do whatever we can,” he said. "There are so many people in need."
But Cole is not alone in his efforts.
He is backed by his team, Two Degrees of Difference, which is made up of 33 people from Loudoun and surrounding counties.
The team’s name came from the fact that no one is ever more than two degrees from being touched by cancer, Cole said. He said he has known several people affected by the disease, including some members of the Two Degrees team.
Cole has made fundraising a big part of his life for the last three years. First he raised money for AIDS research through his participation with the Marine Corps Marathon. Then, last year, he became involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which deals with various blood cancers.
Cole and his team raised $20,000 for the cause in 2007 and finished second in the nation.
This year, he is confident he can raise enough money to be crowned Man of the Year.
Cole is hoping people will spread the word about the team Web site, www.twodegrees.org.
He's also planning to host an hour-long auction to air live on a major Washington, D.C., radio station.
Cole, who works full time for the Consumer Electronics Association in Arlington, said the Man of the Year campaign has basically become a second job, and is a huge commitment, but it’s definitely worth it.
“I believe we all have the opportunity and the responsibility to help those in need,” he said. “The diseases of leukemia and lymphoma – all cancers for that matter – give us the unique and special opportunity to reach outside ourselves, often just within two degrees, to make a difference.”
To donate, visit www.twodegrees.org. For more information, visit www.lls.org.
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com
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