Chike had a presence that made you pay attention to him. He was crazy ambitious, like me. He was encompassing. We got married right after college. I was active duty in the Army and stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. He was crazy and confident, and once he figured out what he wanted, he would do anything to accomplish it.

Recapping 2022 at the Chike Springer Foundation: An Impactful Year of Giving! It has been a year of growth and progress here at the Chike Springer Foundation. We worked hard to raise awareness about lymphoma and to fund research initiatives focused on helping those impacted by this disease.

Lyndsay Springer is making a difference in the fight against lymphoma, and using her late husband's legacy to help others affected by the disease. She is the CEO and founder of the Chike Springer Foundation, established to advance lymphoma research and make it more diverse.

"Unfortunately, there are large gaps and issues of equity in cancer research. Some of the statistically under-represented groups in Lymphoma include: Military / Veterans, Adolescent and Young Adults, and People of Color. Chike intersected all three of those groups and these groups are the groups we focus on."

During his treatment, Chike was adamant about giving back and contributing to the cure for lymphoma. He frequently talked about starting a non-profit. The Chike Springer Foundation was created in honor of the late Chike Springer. We are determined to learn from Chike’s battle with cancer and to help others who are fighting a similar battle.

We're excited to announce that the Lymphoma Research Foundation invited us to participate in the LRF CEO Advisory Committee. This committee aims to elevate patient and caregiver voices within the Lymphoma Community to inform programs and initiatives within the LRF. The committee is made up of about a dozen people from across the United States and Canada, meeting twice a year to discuss special topics. Chike's brother, Adwin, and I are proud to represent the Chike Springer Foundation and continue to advocate for underrepresented groups.

We had a great time representing the Chike Springer Foundation in June at the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) AYA conference. This year was the first year they included patient advocates and we were one of three represented. We had the opportunity to learn more about the research needs of our community and connect with others who are passionate about making a difference through innovative research.

This June we hosted a Photo Challenge Fundraiser to raise money to fund lymphoma research and increase public awareness about lymphoma, the most common type of blood cancer. We asked participants to take pictures with their Chike Springer Foundation hats and flags to complete photo challenges and earn points. Our event sponsors generously donated $1 for every point earned during the challenge.