Local Realtors Barry Waterman of Coldwell Banker Waterman Realty and Samantha Grimes of Chesapeake Real Estate Associates helped raise over $ 85,000 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through its Man and Woman of the Year Campaign!!
They were named “Man and Woman of the Year” at a Celebration at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club on Thursday, May 23 rd on Kent Island. All 8 contestants were honored for their efforts including; Nick Denny, Jay Falstad, Maureen Fleshman, Abby Hill, Kisha Petticolas, and Doug Mummert.
It was a groundbreaking record for a round of first year campaigns!!!
Each year, in communities across the country, dynamic, passionate candidates engage in a spirited competition to earn The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Man & Woman of the Year” titles, by raising funds for blood cancer research. The candidates compete in honor of children who are local blood cancer survivors, the Boy & Girl of the Year. Every dollar counts as one vote, and the titles are awarded to the man and woman with the most votes at the end of ten weeks; the top local fundraisers in the country win the national titles. Man & Woman candidates are goal-oriented and compassionate. Their relentless efforts are focused on making life better for hundreds of thousands of patients battling blood cancers: leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Funds raised by Man & Woman of the Year participants are used for: Lifesaving blood cancer research, Financial assistance to cover patient expenses for transportation, medication and testing, Free educational materials and events for patients and their families, Local programs such as Family Support Groups and First Connection, a peer-to-peer counseling program, Comprehensive, personalized assistance through our Information Resource Center.
Samantha Grimes and her team raised over $38,000!
Samantha Grimes said, “After being nominated to run, knowing I could not truly ever be Woman of the Year all by myself, I quickly created a team of dedicated ladies to help with the 10 week campaign. From what originated as Sam Grimes…The Woman of the Year Campaign, later morphed into Sam Grimes and Team Matty for a Shore Cure, and eventually became Matty for a Shore Cure and The Community of the Year, in my eyes. The community was supporting us all the way! ”
Her Team Members were: Brooke Horney, Dina Clark, Kris Shanahan, April Gordon, Robin Hershey, Monica Mitchell, Robyn Rodenhavor, Jordanna Barrett. Amanda Pinder helped the team out by organizing a dine-in event at Good Guys and Lisa Ruth helped out by organizing a Family Fun day at Fisherman’s Crab Deck.
Her philosophy was to do events and create awareness at the same time. We had several events, from a Matty for a Shore Cure Bake Sale at all 8 branches of Queenstown Bank, Aerobathon at Club One, Help us Lick Leukemia at the Centreville Creamery, Crabby for Cancer at Centreville Elementary Schools, Serendipidee in Centreville, Lisa’s Hair-Do’s in Grasonville, Babies and Bloom in Centreville, Rockin for a Cure at Red Eye’s, Capriotti’s for a Cure on Kent Island, A Family Fun Day at Fisherman’s Crab Deck, a Good Guys dine-in event, and the 1st Annual Matty for a Shore Cure Golf Tournament at Prospect Bay Country Club.
Barry Waterman alone raised over $11,000 for the cause!
Barry said, “It was a great project and unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference! When I first began the campaign I thought I didn’t know anyone who had the disease but by the end I realized I was wrong. Through people sharing their personal stories, I learned I knew many people in our community that had been touched by it. It was truly an eye-opening experience!”
Barry took a different approach than Samantha but equally effective. He and local candidate Jay Falstead of the Queen Anne’s Conservation Association created a campaign focused on a duel. They coined the slogan an Epic Battle for a Great Cause, and made it a personal race between the two of them and used their years of business rivalry to raise money.