By Erica Thomas, managing editor
TRUSSVILLE — Trussville teen Hannah O’Kelley is a young woman the community can be proud of. After losing her father to cancer in 2015, the rising Hewitt-Trussville High School senior made a big impact with a recent campaign.
O’Kelley placed as runner-up in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Student of the Year competition. Her team raised over $55,000 for blood cancer research and for cancer patients. She said she was one of only five competitors in the Birmingham area to raise over $50,000.
O’Kelley raised the money after being nominated by the LLS Board. She previously told The Tribune that the cause was dear to her heart because of her experience with her father, Kevin O’Kelley. She was only in fifth grade when he passed away from kidney cancer.
For seven weeks, O’Kelley raised awareness by spreading information about the campaign. She took to social media, campaigned to the community and her school, spoke with The Tribune and made an appearance on Tribune Unscripted with Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat.
“My original goal was $30,000, but when our total reached $50,000 we earned the honor of having a research grant linked to my father’s name, which means a lot to me and my family,” said O’Kelley. “My team was also recognized with a citizenship award for Community Involvement, which shows that the strength of the Trussville community was recognized by others in the competition and the LLS organization.”
The money from O’Kelley’s campaign was raised in honor of a young cancer patient who is currently in remission from a blood cancer. Donations support LLS-funded research and help provide critical information and support for patients.
You can watch the segment of O’Kelley on Tribune Unscripted below, starting at 35:00.