Kris Shera and the Markey Cancer Center Need You, Big Blue Nation

Even though the Men’s and Women’s basketball seasons have come to a close (though, practically, for all purposes we’ve all been pretty much starting up our 2014 march to a championship much earlier than usual this time around), there’s still support needed on the home front.

This year’s University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Man of the Year is fellow Cat diehard, friend of the site and one-time Fan of the Day Kris Shera of Frankfort, who was diagnosed just over a year ago with lymphoma and is now in remission from the threatening disease. Kris has been chosen to be UK’s official representative in the 2013 Man and Woman of the Year Campaign to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where he will compete against 13 other candidates from Kentucky and Southern Indiana in fundraising efforts to find funds which will help researchers toward finding a cure. Kris is hoping for Kentucky fans across the state to bring our fierce knack for competition (and, as I mentioned, Indiana is a competitor here) to bringing more time and hope to those statewide, nationwide and worldwide suffering from blood cancer. Every dime helps toward medical science discovering the next breakthrough drug to offer safer and more effective treatment toward cancer patients.

Kris’ fundraising efforts will also honor five year-old Girl of the Year Laekin Risinger of Elizabethtown, a Burkitt’s Lymphoma survivor in remission since November 2012, seen here throwin’ up the goggles Doron-style:

…and support others like young Kelly, who is currently at UK Children’s Hospital and whose positive outlook and attitude is chronicled at the Facebook page Kickin’ It 4 Kelly. He’s also a close personal friend of Twany:

 

The fundraising campaign runs from March 28 to June 7 and donations can be made by visiting Kris’ site here. His campaign can also be followed via Twitter at @KrisShera. I know I’m not the only one among us with a loved one whose life has been affected by cancer, and why stop supporting UK now that the season’s over? Plus, again, did I mention that we’re competing against Indiana?

Go Cats. Go Kris. Go Markey Cancer Center.