As part of the 2026 Greater Lehigh Valley Student Visionaries Campaign, Jim Thorpe Senior Gabriella Lopopolo is fundraising for Blood Cancer United (Formerly known as The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society).

Student Visionaries is a “philanthropic leadership program for exemplary high school students.”

Blood Cancer United Campaign Development Manager Meg D’Adamo explained, “Community leaders and school administrators recommend students who excel in school as well as in the community. Candidates are then interviewed and chosen to lead the fundraising. To see high school students take such initiative and passion is awesome.”

A member of the National Honor Society, Lopopolo is also a varsity cheerleader, member of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and volunteers for Aevidum, a peer support organization for students struggling with mental health issues.

When asked about this volunteer fundraising campaign Lopopolo said, “I lost my grandmother to cancer. She was my best friend. I was attached to her, and my passion is to help others.”

Lopopolo has been accepted to East Stroudsburg University where she will study to become a nurse anesthetist.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Student Visionaries of the Year have chosen Lily Moss and Sean Geltz, pediatric blood cancer survivors, to benefit from the fundraising.

Lopopolo has also chosen to honor the life of Jim Thorpe native Hunter Wolfe. In 2010, he was diagnosed with blood cancer and passed away at age 12 in 2011. The families know each other through school activities.

Fundraising will include bake sales, canisters in local stores for monetary donations, raffles, dine and donate events and other activities to be organized.

Sixteen teams in 14 counties will be competing to raise the most funds. Lopopolo set a goal of $30,000 for her campaign. At the end of the fundraising period, a Grand Finale Gala for all candidates will be held at Centennial Catering in Center Valley. This is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work of candidates and their families and highlights students who raised the most money. The collective total of all teams will be announced at the event.

In 2024, 1.4 million dollars was raised for patients in the Greater Lehigh Valley.

To kick off the seven-week leadership development event everyone will have an opportunity to enjoy themselves at Dave & Buster’s at the Lehigh Valley mall on Jan. 8, 2026.

Fundraising will occur Jan. 8, through Feb. 26. To make a donation to the campaign on Gabriella’s page go https://pages.lls.org/svoy/lv/svoylv26/glopopolo.