Smiles4Cures is part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s student visionary program, designed for high-schoolers to develop philanthropic skills.
A junior at Clearview Regional High School is teaming with Blood Cancer United for a donation drive through her own organization, Smiles4Cures.
Ava Abbate started Smiles4Cures to raise awareness of various blood cancers. The drive began on Jan. 28 and continues through Saturday, March 21, with a goal of $50,000. Donations can be made on the website of Blood Cancer United at bloodcancerunited.org; the organization is part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Area Heritage’s convenience stores are conducting a round-up campaign with Smiles4Cures throughout February, as well as a clothing drive and dine-and-donate events this month and next. The campaign will be capped off on the end date at 6 p.m. News and updates can be found on the Smiles4Cures Instagram page.
Smiles4Cures is part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s student visionary program, designed for high-schoolers to develop philanthropic skills. Abbate and fellow team member Izzy Gannone are in the fourth year of the drive and were both named 2026 visionaries of the year by the program.
“Izzy and I both are very passionate about spreading kindness throughout our community and providing a helping hand when needed,” said Abbate. “Team Smiles4Cures is a legacy team, which means it has been run before by Clearview students. We knew that we wanted an opportunity to take on this amazing cause as well, so we reached out to the previous student visionaries of 2025.
“Everyone has their own reason for joining our team,” she added. “Some of us have a personal connection to someone with blood cancer, others just have big hearts.”
Other members of the Smiles4Cures team include Andrew Crawford, Jordyn An, Juliana Cruz Jimenez, Logan Kenkelen, Evan Ace, Sophia Henderson, Emma Henderson, Serena Huang and Giselle Roderick. The rest of Clearview’s 11th-grade class are supporters.
Each team in the society’s visionary program dedicates its drive to a hero who becomes the face of the campaign. This year’s hero is a young boy from Mullica Hill.
“Blood Cancer United’s three mission pillars are research, patient education and support, and policy and advocacy,” explained Abbate’s mother, Nicole. “Team Smiles4Cures has selected patient education and support as their mission pillar, as we feel (it) has the most direct effect on families with a cancer diagnosis.”
“We all come from different places, have had different experiences that have shaped our lives, but we all have the capacity to show kindness and spread hope,” noted Ava. “Team Smiles4Cures is full of visionaries who have a vision for a world without cancer.
“Our team is ready to work hard to help those in need fight their battle with cancer.”
