Eric Langevin Hoping To Be Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man Of The Year

I really admire people who step up as a volunteer to raise money for a cause. I can ask people for a lot of things – heck, I got 10 people who have never danced before to get up on stage and dance to Cotton Eyed Joe AND be judged, all in the name of fun and the Appalachian Festival – but asking for money is well not easy.

Case in point. Eric Langevin, assistant division director at Hoxworth Blood Center. That’s right, he works for an organization that never asks for money, just blood. However, blood to those who need a transfusion is worth its weight in gold and sometimes the need is greater than the supply. So Eric is very familiar with collecting donations for a life-saving cause.

Eric always happens to be very familiar with a ravaging disease that took the life of his father’s brother, and one that requires blood for treatment. Leukemia affects hundreds of thousands of lives in the United States each year.

“That loss was really hard on dad. My uncle was the last link to that side of our family,” said Eric.

And with loss, comes passion.

This year when the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was looking for candidates for its 2010 Man of the Year, Eric’s co-workers nominated him. It’s not what you may think. To be nominated means you commit to competing in a 10-week challenge of finding any creative way you can to raise money for blood cancer research.

Eric has sent letters through his Linkedin connections, organized a March Madness pool, got LaRosa’s to give back a portion of their proceeds to his campaign for a night and more. Tomorrow, April 21, he arranged for the Rookwood Commons Max & Erma’s to give back 20% of their proceeds with the coupon at this link.

“As an employee of Hoxworth Blood Center (and a loyal blood donor), I've seen firsthand the ravages of cancer, and the good that comes from fighting it. Donating blood is one of the easiest ways to help. Unfortunately, it's not enough. Funds are desperately needed for research, treatments, and hopefully, cures. So please, when you donate for me, know that it's not about being Man of the Year. It's about others not losing their uncle, grandparents, or someone else important,” Eric wrote on his fund raising page.

If you’d like to help Eric win the Man of the Year, visit his page.