Local Campaign Aims To Raise $25K For Leukemia Research; Area Police Officer Leading Effort In Name Of Child

Local Campaign Aims To Raise $25K For Leukemia Research; Area Police Officer Leading Effort In Name Of Child
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OCEAN CITY – Ricky Kerrigan is roaring to go to raise the most money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and be named Man of the Year all in honor of Colby Fowle.

Colby Fowle, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Girl of the Year for the Eastern Shore, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at the age of 3 in January 2013. ALL is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow and is the most common type of cancer in children.

Colby was running a low-grade fever on and off for several weeks, and when blood work showed that something wasn’t right, Colby went straight to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore where she was hospitalized for seven days, which was the beginning of 26 months of treatment.

Each year the LLS Maryland-Eastern Shore Chapter selects a local boy and girl who are battling cancer and who serve as a motivation and inspiration to the Man and Woman of the Year candidates.

The LLS Maryland-Eastern Shore Chapter chose Colby as the 2014 Girl of the Year and in turn Colby’s mother, Katharine Fowle, nominated Ricky Kerrigan as one of the candidates to be named LLS Man of the Year.

Kerrigan, who serves as a full-time police officer with the Ocean Pines Police Department, is one of five candidates on the Eastern Shore running for LLS Man of the Year in honor of Colby.

“I am the only one that personally knows Colby,” Kerrigan said, as he and his wife, Sandy, are good friends with Colby’s parents, Katharine and Ross Fowle. “When Colby was named Girl of the Year, her mom nominated me to be Man of the Year…and I was honored. Being that I work nights and was free during the day, when Colby first got sick I would come over during the day and hang out with her, or watch Colby so Katharine could run to the store. Colby has always taken a liking to me, so we are always there for them as much as we can be.”

The Kerrigan’s two children, Mallory and Delaynie, are good friends with the Fowle’s two children, Cooper and Colby, who are all close in age. The families met because their children attended the same daycare.

“Colby is like a daughter,” Kerrigan said.

The LLS Man & Woman of the Year campaign is a fundraising competition among a select group of individuals in the community. While each candidate conducts their own campaign, all candidates are united by one goal: to use their leadership skills to raise funds to help blood cancer patients live longer and more fulfilling lives. Seventy-eight cents of every dollar raised goes directly to LLS to find a cure.

By accepting the nomination, candidates have 10 weeks, March 28-June 6, to accumulate the most “votes.” Every dollar raised counts as one vote. The male and female candidates who raise the most votes during the campaign are named the Maryland-Eastern Shore Chapter Man & Woman of the Year at the Grand Finale on June 6.

Kerrigan’s campaign team includes 23 members. A few core members are Sandy Kerrigan, Katharine Fowle, Ross Fowle, Virginia Cipollone and Alyson Kendall.

“It’s been busy, and it is going to get busier once it starts but it’s exciting,” Kerrigan said. “Our goal is to raise $25,000 but my personal goal is to raise $50,000.”

Kerrigan’s campaign starts with Kisses for Colby 5K & 1 Mile Run/Walk on March 29 starting at 9 a.m. at the Ocean Pines Recreation Park, followed by Sisters Pour for the Cure Guest Bartending on April 4 at 6 p.m. in Berlin; Shorebirds Stadium on April 25th at 7 p.m. where Colby will be throwing out the first pitch and a baseball will be for raffle; Roar for the Cure LLS Benefits at Seacrets from 6-9 p.m. on April 26; Roar for a Cure Kids Fest on May 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hooper’s parking lot in West Ocean City; the Judith M. Sunset Booze Cruise out of Bahia Marina from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on May 17; and Pickles Roar for a Cure Closing Party on May 31 from 6 p.m. to close.

“Colby loves the song ‘Roar’ by Katy Perry, so we used the song to name all of the events,” Kerrigan said.

Events will feature live entertainment, such as at Seacrets members of the band Zion and Galaxy Collective will be on the scene, as well as raffles and auctions will be taking place. Kerrigan’s campaign is in need of auction items if businesses are willing to donate to the effort.

In closing, Kerrigan shared a few facts setting the reality of the situation.

“Every four minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer,” he said. “Every 10 minutes someone dies from it, and leukemia is the leading cause of cancer death in children and young adults age 20 and under … we will take all the support we can get,” Kerrigan said. “Leukemia can happen to anyone at any time. Seeing firsthand what the Fowles have gone through, and being so close to them we felt helpless. I felt this way if I can raise a lot of money to go towards cancer research it is one way to help.”

To follow Kerrigan’s campaign or give a donation visit http://www.mwoy.org/pages/md/mdes14/teamcolby and for more information click over to https://www.facebook.com/RickyKerriganMWOY