Bank workers 'wave' for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ? Change ...

McCormick

Seacoast National Bank executive Paula McCormick is celebrating her second year in remission from lymphoma ? but that?s not the only reason she?ll be standing with fellow bank employees on a downtown Orlando street corner Wednesday morning doing ?the wave.?

McCormick, a 39-year-old assistant branch manager and mother of four, will join more than?30 Seacoast workers outside the bank?s?downtown Orlando branch from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to raise awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ? and to?encourage passers-by to donate to the fight against blood cancers. The bank is located at 65 N. Orange Ave. at the intersection with Washington Avenue.

McCormick is a candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society?s 2012 Woman of the Year.?Diagnosed in the summer of 2009,?she decided virtually from the beginning to battle not only for herself, but for the greater cause, too.

?The Disney Half Marathon with Team in Training fundraiser [for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society] was just about to kick off, and I said I would attend the orientation,? McCormick writes. ?Running is not a friend of mine, but after hearing about the program I knew I could do it with the support of family and friends.?

She wound up raising?$3,300 and, in March 2010, she finished?a half- marathon ? despite?having had a heart attack in the months leading up to the run while undergoing radiation.

She didn?t stop after the event, either. McCormick has continued to find ways to raise money for the organization, which funds blood cancer research and provides education and patient services.

?It?s not hard to guess why so many people are passionate about raising money to support this wonderful cause,? she writes. ?Statistics show that you know someone in your life, if not yourself, that has, is or will be touched by a blood cancer. Every four minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer, and every 10 minutes someone loses his or her battle.?

If you want to support her efforts, you can drop off contributions during the event or?inside the bank Wednesday. In addition, you can contribute at McCormick?s online donation page.

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