My Story

When my younger brother Patrick was four years old, he was diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma. He underwent 18 months of chemotherapy before going into remission. Then, when he was 13 years old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. This time, Patrick underwent two years of grueling radiation and chemotherapy treatments before again going into remission. Today, I am happy to report that Patrick is a healthy 22-year-old senior set to graduate this May from Elon University in North Carolina. The doctors have described his recovery from leukemia as “nothing short of a miracle.” In honor of his two successful battles against cancer, we have named our team "The 2-Times Strong Campaign".

While I celebrate Patrick’s miraculous recovery, I cannot stop hoping for a day when people will no longer have to hear a doctor tell them that a loved one has one of these dreadful diseases. The impact that they have on the patient, their families, and their communities is devastating. Something can, and must be done. To this end, I have agreed to join this year's Man & Woman of the Year Campaign to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Since 1960, the five-year leukemia survival rate in children has improved from 4% to 80% today. Belief in conquering this disease matters. With your help, and the help of others, we can perform another miracle for Patrick and the countless other people who live under the threat of these diseases. You can be part of finding a cure!


DONATE!

Our donation site is LIVE. Click on the link below to contribute to our campaign. And don't forget to spread the word! Together, we can make a difference.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE


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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Win a Date to the Gala!

Hi everyone,
As part of our final push towards the Gala we are running a little competition. Whoever donates the most money online today, June 11 will win a "date" to the Gala with me! (I know, what a prize.)

The Finale Gala is a black-tie optional affair at the Ritz-Carlton in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The evening will begin at 6pm and will be unforgettable!

Come on ladies, it's for a good cause! If you want to enter, just follow the link at the top of the page and make your donation today!

Donations will be accepted until 12:00am TODAY!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Wine Tasting

Hello All and happy JUNE!! You know what that means? We're almost finished with our campaign and can use all the help we can get to reach our goal before its over.

We wanted to touch base with a quick re-cap. This past weekend we held a wine tasting event at fellow candidate Lindsey Scott's art gallery in Tysons Corner, VA. The event was a HIT and a huge success! We raised over $1,600! Big thanks to Lindsey, Habatat Galleries, the Kepley Family and all who attended!

Here are some photos!








Don't forget to DONATE if you haven't already! Less than 2 weeks to go until the campaign comes to a close!!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

1 month to go!

As of this past week, we have officially hit the home stretch with less than 1 month remaining in our campaign. We have made amazing progress to date. I am truly astounded by the generosity that has been displayed by people throughout this campaign. I am happy to report that as of today, we have raised an amazing $21,000! Thank you to everyone who has been able to support us. But it doesn't stop there, we still have a long way to go to reach our goal.

Please continue to stay tuned for news of upcoming events. 1 event in particular I would like to highlight is a Wine Tasting that we will be hosting at an art gallery in the Tyson's Corner area in Virginia. This looks to be a great event. If you have any interest in attending, please email us at 2timesstrong@gmail.com.

Check back soon for pictures from some of our recent events!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Calling All Kids!

Mother's Day is fast approaching and what better way to show your mother you care than with a beautiful gift that doubles as a donation in her name to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

In 2005, Wendy Jarmol of Jarmol Jewelry created a gorgeous set of jewelry to help her friend Pam Burns raise funds for her Woman of the Year campaign. They sold over 100 pieces of jewelry and raised $2,000 for Pam’s campaign! Wendy has returned again this year to offer this fundraising tool to all candidates. Wendy is currently working on the 2009 set.

The stunning Leukemia & Lymphoma Society necklace and earrings are $30.00 each. The stones are Champagne Swarovski Crystal.



The best part is, for each piece you purchase, $15.00 will be awarded toward our campaign!

Orders can be made at www.wendy-jarmol.com. Click on “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Jewelry” section to view the necklace and earrings.

To ensure that we get a percentage of the proceeds from your purchase, put either "Andrew Kepley" or the "2-Times Strong Campaign" in the comments section of your checkout.

Your mother will love and appreciate this one-of-a-kind gift... and don't forget, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10th!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Porter's Happy Hour

Thanks to everyone who made it out to Porter's Dining Saloon for our most recent happy hour. We had a great turnout and were able to raise over $800! See below for pictures from the night.


Please don't stop trying to spread the word about our campaign, we are about a month into it and want to keep up the tremendous start we've had. If you, or someone you know has any goods or services to donate, please contact us. In this tough economy we all need to be creative in how we choose to give back to our communities, this is one of those ways.


Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Little League Night

This past Saturday my old high school, W.T. Woodson, was kind enough to sponsor an event on our behalf at a varsity baseball game between Woodson and Annandale High School. This was a great event all around. Both me and my brother Patrick played baseball at Woodson, along with my Campaign Manager, Michael. It was great to be back in the Woodson baseball community and see so many familiar faces.

We were also fortunate enough to have
this year's Boy and Girl of the Year, Alessandro Valeri and Megan Avery, attend the event! Big thanks to Alessandro, Megan and their families for coming out.


We are so gracious to everyone who was able to attend, and because of everyone's support we were able to raise over $1,700! While no doubt part of the reason the night was such a success was because of the perfect weather, it is also a testament to the communities that surround Woodson and Annandale High School. The generosity of everyone in attendance truly touched me.

I also must spend a moment to thank Baja Fresh and Goody's Ice Cream who came out for the event and were kind enough to give us a portion of their proceeds from the night.

Here are some event photos!


If you want to be a help be a part of our campaign, join us this Friday at
Porter's Dining Saloon in downtown, D.C. for Happy Hour! A $10 donation gets you in to the bar, one raffle ticket and great drink specials including $3 Miller Lites, $3 rail drinks, and $4 drafts until 10pm. Check our Facebook Event Page for more details. Hope to see you there!

Friday, April 10, 2009

First Event!

Thanks to everyone who came out to The First Down Sports Bar last night for our first fund-raising event! We had an awesome turnout and as of right now seem to have (unofficially) raised $800+ which is a great start. Here are some pictures from the evening!

Our next Happy Hour event is on April 24th at Porter's Dining Saloon in downtown, D.C. Join us for $3 Miller Lites, $3 rail drinks, and $4 drafts until 10pm. Hope to see you all there!