Volunteer

My connection to Blood Cancer United’s mission began through my younger sister, Patti Robinson Kaufmann. She was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) in 1997 at the age of 37. We are fifth-generation Coloradans raised in a family that believed deeply in community. My dad, Eddie, and his brother, Dick Robinson, built not only a family business—Robinson Dairy—but also a remarkable network of friendships and connections across Colorado.

Patti was a master connector. Even during her cancer journey, she felt a powerful call to bring people together and share resources, hope, and encouragement. In 1999, Patti and my dad partnered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, now Blood Cancer United, to launch the first Light The Night Walk in Denver. That first walk generated $57,000—an extraordinary beginning fueled by love, determination, and community.

For Patti, the walk wasn’t just an event. It became a vehicle for connection. It allowed her to reach others walking a similar path and to remind them they were not alone. We continued to grow the Denver walk and supported Patti until she lost her battle in 2008.

Today, the Rocky Mountain region of Light The Night raises over $1.3 million annually—a testament to how one person’s vision can ripple outward and transform lives.

The year Patti went to heaven, her husband, Steven Kaufmann, and my dad worked again with Blood Cancer United to create the Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program. In honor of Patti’s memory, Dad pledged a significant gift to ensure the program’s future. This program is a free service that introduces patients or caregivers to a trained volunteer who has walked a similar journey. It embodies exactly who Patti was—compassionate, generous, and committed to making sure no one faces cancer alone.

As for me, I started by “blowing up balloons” at that first walk in 1999—at Patti’s direction, of course. (We didn’t have lanterns back then. We had to manually put lights into the balloons.) I helped set up tables, handed out T-shirts, raised money, and invited others to join us in bringing hope to families still in the fight. And every year since, our family has continued to show up as “Patti’s Team”—to honor those who are fighting, to remember those we have lost, and to stand in solidarity with this community.

Last year, we lost our dad unexpectedly. True to his word, he fulfilled his pledge to support the First Connection Program. His commitment, like Patti’s, was rooted in love, service, and community.

I will continue to show up, not for myself, but for Patti and for Dad. Their legacy is one of connection, generosity, and action. They taught me that volunteering isn’t about recognition; it’s about showing up, again and again, for people who need hope. I will continue to carry forward the light they both shined so brightly—until the day when blood cancers are no longer part of anyone’s story.

I am grateful for all the opportunities available to be part of this extraordinary mission.

Becky Mancuso-Winding’s connection to Blood Cancer United began with a simple introduction from UCLA Health President Johnese Spisso—and quickly became something much more personal.

After witnessing firsthand the toll blood cancers take, particularly on young patients, Becky was drawn to the organization’s high-impact approach and its clear focus on research, access, and patient support. As a colon cancer survivor herself, the mission resonated deeply. What began as a professional introduction soon became a personal crusade. Since becoming involved with Blood Cancer United, Becky has witnessed more and more personal friends and colleagues being diagnosed with blood cancers, many of them children, teens, and young adults, each one strengthening her conviction and fierce determination to raise funding to find a cure.

For the past decade, Becky has been one of the driving forces behind UCLA Health’s remarkable fundraising success for Light The Night Los Angeles. She has participated for ten consecutive years as an Executive Challenger, served eight years on the Executive Leadership Committee, and has been recognized as the top individual Light The Night fundraiser three times. In 2025, she individually raised a record-breaking $113,000—surpassing her own previous best—bringing her cumulative fundraising to nearly $700,000 over ten years of service.

Her leadership extends far beyond personal fundraising. In her role as liaison to UCLA Health’s executive team, she has helped strengthen and expand the organization’s already powerful relationship with Blood Cancer United. As a result, the UCLA Health team has emerged as the #1 Corporate Fundraising Team at Light The Night Los Angeles year after year, raising $190,000 in 2025 alone.

She has also helped support UCLA Health’s evolution from annual sponsorships to broader, multi-year, multi-campaign engagement—strengthening long-term sustainability and expanding participation to include Visionaries of the Year and the Southern California Blood Cancer Conference.

But Becky’s significance is not measured in dollars alone. As Executive Director of Corporate & Community Partnerships at UCLA Health, she uses her credibility and relationships to open doors. She is a connector—bringing colleagues, community leaders, institutional partners, and friends into the mission. And she is an advocate in the truest sense: consistently helping individuals navigate the UCLA Health system to ensure access to world-class care, whether their diagnosis is blood cancer or another form of the disease.

Her leadership is thoughtful, generous, and trusted. She is not motivated by recognition, but by purpose. What began as a personal commitment has evolved into a decade of sustained support and advocacy that has strengthened Blood Cancer United’s presence across Los Angeles, deepened our valued partnership with UCLA Health, and kept patients and families at the center of every effort.

Becky’s legacy with Blood Cancer United is one of service—and of turning personal conviction into lasting community impact.

Barbara is a dedicated, compassionate, and persistent champion for patients and caregivers on Long Island. Her extensive contributions to Blood Cancer United's mission are deeply human, rooted in lived experience, and defined by her unwavering belief that no one should face blood cancer alone.

In January 2019, Barbara was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She was told a transplant would likely be necessary, as her cancer’s genetic mutations made it likely she would relapse. She didn't warm to the idea until she spoke to a Blood Cancer United volunteer with the Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection® program—someone who had her same diagnosis and had had a successful transplant. This was the spark that set off Barbara’s own volunteer experience with Blood Cancer United.

She stepped into roles as a Community Outreach volunteer (COV) and Patient & Family Outreach volunteer (PFO) in 2021 and 2022. In these roles she showed up for patients and caregivers as they navigated fear, confusion, and the complexities of their diagnosis, guiding them toward Blood Cancer United resources with empathy and clarity. She quickly became a steady presence across Long Island, determined to spread the word about Blood Cancer United's free support available to the community.

This experience was only the beginning for Barbara. She wanted to give back further. So, she became the person she herself had needed during her initial treatment—a First connection volunteer. Through these personalized matches, she offered patients the hope, reassurance, and perspective that only another survivor can provide. She also later trained as a volunteer coordinator for the program, playing a critical role in facilitating countless matches across the region. Her dedication has directly improved the emotional wellbeing and quality of life of many patients and families.

Barbara never ceases to leverage her survivor’s experience to help patients. She has continually advocated for Blood Cancer United resources to be available for patients at the hospital she was treated in, where the organization can now share resources directly with the community. After meeting with staff, she was also officially approved as a hospital volunteer, visiting admitted patients and sharing resources with caregivers and families. She made her survivorship a bridge between the hospital and Blood Cancer United’s mission.

Today, Barbara is five years cancer-free. Whenever an opportunity arises to help patients, support staff, or drive the mission forward, she’s the first to chime in. When a NYC researcher reached out for a participant in a clinical study, Barbara immediately said yes. When the Light The Night team needed an Honored Hero, she said yes again. Her contributions are numerous; her dedication, unmatched; her impact, immeasurable.

Recognizing Barbara with the Quality of Life Award not only honors her service, but also honors the countless lives she has touched through her generosity, courage, and unmatched commitment to the mission.