Local Teens Ready to Fight With Their Smiles for LLS

By Katie McFadden

Last year, the community came out strong for Team Sister Strong, and helped Julia O’Sullivan raise the most money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), earning her the title of Student of the Year in New York. Now Rockaway resident Angelina LoBianca has been passed the torch and is leading Team Fight with your Smile in hopes of being named Student Visionary of the Year by raising money for a charity that has helped local kids like Rocco Pisani and others through their battles with blood cancer.

Last year’s local campaign for LLS was an overwhelming success. Up against 20 other high school students, O’Sullivan, who led the team in honor of her sis- ter, Siobhan, who battled leukemia, and Siobhan’s friend, Rocco Pisani, also facing the battle, came out victorious, raising more than $122K for LLS. “We had such a great turnout from the community, and she wound up winning,” Rocco’s mom Jamie Pisani said. “It was amazing.”

Rocco Pisani, who was part of Team Sister Strong, also had success, raising more than $50K of the team’s money alone. For his hard work and his knack for public speaking and motivating others throughout his own ongoing cancer battle, Rocco has been named the Honored Hero of the LLS Student Visionary of the Year campaign and has been tasked with sending all fundraisers fun,

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023