Krysta Arnold-Schultz ’06 is one of 9 Philanthropist-Candidates

04/14/2009

Working Hard to Find a Cure for Blood Cancers

Golden Valley, Minn. (April 10, 2009) – Krysta Arnold-Schultz, of Rockford, is a 2009 Philanthropist-Candidate for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Man & Woman of the Year event, which kicked off on April 1st. Those competing in this annual fundraising competition are uniting with hundreds of men and women across the country to raise money and awareness for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s life-enhancing programs: Research, Patient Services, Education and Advocacy.

This year, the LLS’s Minnesota Chapter candidates will raise money in honor of the 2009 Boy & Girl of the Year, Brenden Conroy and McKinley Chung, both diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). The two local children serve as the faces of the organization, while attending Man & Woman of the Year events to inspire and motivate the candidates throughout the campaign.

Arnold-Schultz, a Project Manager with Medco Health Solutions, is married to Jesse Schultz. When she is not working, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family and playing with her new puppy, Winston. She is passionate about helping others in need, making each day count and trying to make a difference in everything she does. She was born in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with a degree in Communications. During her time in college, Arnold-Schultz served as a mentor for Honors, wrote for the college paper, “The Record,” and ran on the track team. When asked about her personal goals for the campaign, Arnold-Schultz said, “My goal is to raise as much money as I can as well as providing information and awareness to people about the foundation and how they can help.”  “It was a very easy decision to accept the nomination for Woman of the Year because over the past couple of years, I have become acclimated with all the great causes that LLS supports and activities that they fund. When the nomination was presented to me, I knew that this was an amazing opportunity for me to help out others in need,” said Arnold-Schultz. “As a part of the Medco team, I became involved in some of the fundraising activities for previous Woman of the Year nominations.”

The ten-week long campaign will culminate at the Grand Finale Gala on Friday, June 12th at The Metropolitan, with the announcement of the top fundraising man and woman, who will be named, Man & Woman of the Year. Until then, the nine candidates will stay busy pulling together their resources as they write letters, solicit corporate sponsorships, host fundraising events, and collect auction items throughout the process. The Man and Women of the Year will be rewarded with their picture on the side of 20 Metro Transit bus advertisements come September.

“Man & Woman of the Year is an excellent opportunity for active members in our community to challenge one another in this fundraising competition and help us find a cure,” said Murray Schmidt, the Minnesota Chapter’s Executive Director. "Every dollar raised goes directly towards our mission of improving the lives of blood cancer patients and their families, so it’s really a great cause.”  If you would like to contribute to Krysta Arnold-Schultz’s campaign or find out about how you can get involved, visit her donation page at www.mn.llsevent.org/krysta. For general information, visit www.LLS.org/mnmwoy or contact Cathy Swanson Girsch: (763) 852-3014.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®, headquartered in White Plains, NY, with 68 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. Its mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, LLS made 5.1 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

Institutional Advancement
College of Saint Benedict
St. Joseph, MN 56374
(320) 363-5682
(800) 648-3468