Under very different campaign circumstances due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, Grant Ganzi of Wellington rallied in his 10-week fundraising efforts to forge ahead of other candidates, securing the title of LLS Man of the Year Palm Beach.
The Lynn University senior, third generation polo player and the Polo School’s USPA delegate reached out to one of the most generous communities in sports, as well as family and friends to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Palm Beach chapter.
In 10 weeks, Ganzi raised a total of $149,063. The total raised by all candidates was $670,848.
Due to social distancing and in compliance with CDC protocols, the 2020 LLS banquet was held via Zoom.
Ganzi was awarded the title of Man of the Year on the Zoom call with 15 other candidates, family and friends in attendance.
“I wanted to help raise money for this amazing cause because of my friend Brandon,” Ganzi said. “He had leukemia, so he inspired me. I cannot believe I won!”
Fellow teammate and polo player Brandon Phillips is a cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 14 and was given only six months to live. He beat the odds and has been in remission for more than 25 years.
Ganzi’s goal was to raise $75,000, which he exceeded. “I surpassed my goal, and I’m surprised I was able to. There were moments in my campaign where I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to reach my goal,” he said. “Thank you to my family, friends, team members, fellow contestants, Aiden, Lily and everyone at the LLS. I couldn’t have done it without you guys.”
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is at the forefront of the fight to cure cancer. It is the largest nonprofit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers. Since 1949, the nonprofit has invested nearly $1.3 billion in groundbreaking research, pioneering many of today’s most innovative approaches.
