When Liam Murphy, Ryland Kase and Jenna Munkittrick were trying to determine the best way to raise money for blood cancer research, they had a solid role model.
Their classmate Luca Bertucci was a member of the Blood Cancer United Student Visionaries program. After raising $40,200 — the most money of anyone in the Pittsburgh-Cleveland region — he was named the organization’s Student Visionaries 2025 Team Member of the Year. Along the way, he also beat Burkitt’s lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
“He’s a big reason why we pushed as much as we did,” said Kase, a 17-year-old junior. Kase is a member of the 2026 Student Visionaries team at Franklin Regional along with Murphy and Munkittrick.
Together, the team raised $157,093 in just seven weeks and earned recognition as the 2026 Student Visionaries of the Year. Overall, the total for the Pittsburgh region was more than $836,000, according to Blood Cancer United.
The Student Visionaries program is not just a way to raise funding for research into blood cancers; it also teaches high school students leadership skills. Team members are essentially placed in charge of creating, managing and executing a seven-week fundraising campaign. That includes organizing fundraisers and requesting corporate donations and sponsorships.
“Asking a company for a big donation can be a little bit nerve-wracking,” said Murphy, 17, a junior. “But if you’re confident and you’re able to convey what a great cause it’s for, that helps a lot.”
The trio also looked to the experience of previous teams.
“We’ve had some really successful teams, so going back and seeing what they did was really helpful,” said Munkittrick, 16, a junior.
They also drew inspiration from Bertucci’s success. A senior this year, Bertucci was named a Blood Cancer United Pittsburgh “Honored Hero,” and will share his story with participants and donors to help spread the nonprofit’s message.
Competing against 17 other high schools in the region, Franklin Regional’s Student Visionaries worked alongside the high school’s Panthers Against Cancer Club. They organized hoagie and doughnut sales, a fish fry, a wing night and a cake-decorating class.
“This team truly represents the heart of the Student Visionaries program,” said Erica Gribbin of Blood Cancer United. “Their ability to turn creative ideas into impactful fundraising — while rallying their community — resulted in an incredible $157,000 raised in just seven weeks.”
“It was even a surprise to us,” Kase said of their fundraising total. “We wanted to raise a lot, but we weren’t ready for that number to skyrocket the way it did.”