On Friday, February 27, 2026, Blood Cancer United hosted a gala at The Revaire in Houston, Texas. The gala was the concluding event acknowledging and thanking the teams in the Gulf Coast Region for their fundraising efforts to raise money for progressive research.
Blood Cancer United (BCU) is a foundation that started in 1949 to raise money for blood cancer research around the world in an attempt to find a cure, according to its website. BCU has invested more than $2 billion in research. BCU’s goal is to allow patients with blood cancer to gain more than one million years of life by 2040. An estimated 1.24 million people are diagnosed with blood cancer annually worldwide.
The BCU Gala was created as a fundraising event, but it means more than that. The organization not only celebrated the incredible fundraising efforts of teams across the Gulf Coast Region, but also highlighted the power of community and hope. Behind every donation and event are real people and families that are affected by blood cancer.
Present at the gala was Presley Holmes, a student at Lake Creek and a member of Team Fund the Fight, the fundraising division of BCU. She chose to become a head candidate, or the leader of her chapter, because her great uncle suffered from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and has since entered remission.
“I am so incredibly grateful to be a part of Blood Cancer United and everything it stands for. Being surrounded by such passionate, driven, and compassionate people has truly changed my perspective on what it means to serve others,” Holmes said.
The support Holmes shows for her family members is reflective of BCU’s larger goals. The BCU foundation began after sixteen-year-old Robert Roesler de Villiers passed away from leukemia in 1944. Because his parents were disappointed with the quality of blood cancer treatments and education, Robert’s parents decided to start a blood cancer fundraising and education organization in their son’s name in 1949. Since then, they have provided invaluable support for blood cancer patients.
“Together, we collectively raised $2.7 million to support blood cancer patients and fund life-saving research. It’s something I will always be proud of. It’s inspiring to see how our teamwork, dedication, and shared heart for this cause can make such a powerful impact,” Holmes said of her experience at the gala.
As Blood Cancer United continues its mission to fund research and improve lives, events like the gala prove that progress is possible when people come together for a greater cause.
