Two Messages and a Mark of Excellence!

To our donors,

My name is Holyn Drook, a senior at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, and I have had the honor of serving as this year’s Teen Board President, and this is my third and final year on the Caroline Symmes Children’s Cancer Endowment Teen Board.

Being a part of the CSCCE Teen Board has been a highlight of my high school years, and learning about Caroline’s story has made me realize that the time and effort I spent on the Teen Board was never a sacrifice, but a privilege. Not only do I have the opportunity to contribute to the fight against pediatric cancer and truly make a difference around the world, but I’ve been able to meet like-minded high schoolers from all around Indiana, grow my leadership and fundraising skills, and hear from incredibly accomplished doctors and researchers in the field of pediatric cancer. The teen board is not just for students interested in the medical field specifically, but also those interested in business, marketing, philanthropy, research, and so much more.

In my first year on the Teen Board, I served as the Board’s first Philanthropy Chair, pioneering the board’s initiative to donate a portion of our funds raised to organizations performing cutting-edge pediatric cancer research. Through collaboration and research, I helped lead the board in donating to Ampath in Kenya to support physician training and new blood-screening technologies in a third-world country, expanding the Board’s reach far beyond the Indianapolis area. Three years later, I am so proud of the Board’s continued efforts in Philanthropy, expanding our reach further across the United States with grants to Oncoheroes Biosciences, Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium, and Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. Just this year, we have established a more formal partnership with the Children’s Oncology Group: the world’s largest organization for pediatric cancer research, funding clinical trials for more than 200 member institutions around the world.

As the Fundraising Chair, I helped develop strategies to create corporate partnerships and empower other teen board members to challenge themselves, knowing that adversity can lead us down new paths. Specifically, the Board focused on cold calling vs. warm introductions, using our friends and family relationships to expand our corporate connections. This year, our Fundraising committee put these strategies into action, securing fundraisers with Crew Carwash for the entire month of March and Hot Box Pizza for the first round of March Madness games.

As President, I oversee every committee with the goal of establishing lasting partnerships, spreading awareness about pediatric cancer on local and global scales, and continuing to add to my personal fundraising total. This year, Teen Board members had the special opportunity to attend an IU Women’s Basketball Game dedicated to the Teen Board through a connection with the IU Student Athletic Board. Not only were we seated in the first few rows, but we were escorted to center court for a televised shoutout. Not every high school student who raises funds and awareness for a cause are presented with opportunities like the CSCCE Teen Board, and I am forever grateful for the special memories, such as this IU game, that I will cherish for many years to come.

I have just recently realized that our next meeting in April will be the last time I can call myself a member of the Teen Board. However, I know I will continue to advocate for pediatric cancer awareness and spread Caroline’s story far and wide beyond my high school years. I have known the Symmes family and about the Endowment for a long time. I always knew I wanted to be a part of the Teen Board, but I wasn’t aware of the profound impact Libby and the Teen Board would have in my development as a leader and a person as a whole. Libby, Isaac, Roxanne, and every single Teen Board member I have worked with have pushed me outside of my comfort zone to email corporate business leaders and head doctors at cutting-edge research organizations, bring teens from many high schools together into a team, and inspired me to put my all into fundraising and growing the Board.

Without a doubt, the Teen Board has a bright future. It is proof that young people can make a difference in the world if we just have the courage to work together and reach out. If you never ask, the answer is always no. There are no words to describe my pride and gratitude for this year’s Board and my excitement to see the paths future boards travel down in the future. I would not be the person I am today without the experiences I was provided with through CSCCE and Libby.

I would like to personally thank every single person who has supported the Endowment and the Teen Board, whether by giving their time, attention, or a donation. Your generosity does far more than fund research; every dollar inspires the young leaders of the Teen Board to continue to play a role in creating meaningful change in the world of pediatric cancer. The Board transforms young fundraisers into lifelong donors who are aware of the immense struggles kids with cancer endure everyday, as well as other nonprofits working to help those in need. Caroline’s legacy and the mission of the Endowment will guide and inspire me wherever I go. I am deeply grateful to have been a part of this community so dedicated to hope and progress.

With utmost gratitude,
Holyn Drook