Ask anyone at FMi, and he or she will tell you that if there’s one thing their Vice President Peter H. Macaluso is not a practitioner of, it’s self-promotion. In fact, he’s not much of a talker at all, except when it comes to his business, and just as importantly, his efforts on behalf of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS). That’s why everyone at the company is supporting Peter’s fundraising efforts, and helping him earn some well-deserved recognition as the Society’s “Man Of The Year” by making it possible for him to bring in the largest amount of donations.
Both Peter and his brother — and FMi President — Eric have been strong supporters of the LLS for many years. Their commitment and dedication have grown out of personal experience, as their father and FMi founder Peter L. Macaluso struggled for years with
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), eventually losing his battle in 2004. Like his father, Eric has been a long-time, active executive board member and nationally-certified cycle coach for the LLS’ Team in Training (TNT). The largest sports endurance program of its kind in the country, TNT helps train athletes 16 years of age and older, including both brothers, to compete in century (100-mile) rides, hikes, walking events, and various marathon events for the purpose of raising needed funds for LLS.
Peter has shown a desire to do practically anything to raise money in the effort to find a cure for leukemia and lymphoma, from golf outings and his competitive endeavors with TNT to sliding into a vat of frozen cherry gelatin at a fundraising event on Long Island. His tireless work gained him a nomination last year for the Society’s Man (or Woman) Of The Year award, and the entire FMi family wants 2012 to be Peter H. Macaluso’s year to shine.
Right now happens to be an extremely important, and exciting, period in the history of cancer research. The emergence of “Smart Drugs”, and other advanced therapies — beginning with the drug Gleevec®, developed with the help of LLS funding and introduced in 2001 — is moving the world ever closer to finding a cure. In the words of noted researcher Charles Sayer of the Howard Hughes Medical Center at UCLA, Gleevec® was “a kind of blueprint for what’s going to happen against other cancers”. Which, according to Peter and many others, is why now is such an important to keep the engines of research running at peak capacity.
“I’m a retirement specialist,” notes Peter; “and I love helping our clients provide for the long-term comfort and security of their employees. My greatest joy, though, would be to see Leukemia and Lymphoma eradicated so that all the amazing people at LLS could retire from this cause, and put their immense skills and talents toward another equally worthy challenge.”
As stated above, there’s absolutely no vanity in Peter Macaluso’s desire to be named LLS Man Of The Year:
“There’s only one reason I want to win this award” emphasizes Peter; “because the person who does will have raised the most money to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s search for a cure. Of course, if everyone else and myself all raise a lot of money, and it just happens we all have the same amount, that’s cool, too.”
If you would like to make a donation to help the millions of Americans who struggle with this disease, please click here
