On March 14th, 2026, the Student Visionaries of the Year program celebrated its annual Grand Finale, recognizing seven weeks of fundraising and leadership. The event took place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Windows on the River in the Flats.
Visionaries Erin Boyer, Lydia Koons, and Audrey McNulty, alongside Team Manager Ruby Fraunfelder, represented Lakewood High School as Team Rangers For a Cure, along with 30 of their team members and team leads.
Boyer said, “My co-visionaries are some of my best friends, and I think that this experience has really brought us together.”
The Grand Finale celebrates the work of student leaders over the course of the campaign. With more than 850 guests in attendance, the event recognized students’ dedication while raising awareness for blood cancer in the community.
Guests arrived dressed in cocktail or semi-formal attire. Candidates arrived at 5:30 p.m. to receive their sashes, goody bags and lemonade. The group then toasted the 2026 Student Visionaries of the Year Honored Hero, Mickayla Coyne, and her family.
Guests and team members began arriving at 6 p.m. Upon entering, rooms were filled with displays representing each campaign team, including school names and visionaries. The 2026 campaign included a record 39 teams and 86 visionaries. Schools such as Buckeye High School, Holy Name High School and Beachwood High School participated in the program.
Attendees had access to the full venue, including the aquarium. Photo booths and henna stations were also available for guests.
Food stations included appetizers such as meatballs, fruit, cheese and crackers, along with pasta dishes, salads and a build-your-own taco bar. Dessert options featured cupcakes, cookies and a s’mores station. Bay Village High School also named the event’s mocktail, “Rocket Fuel.”
At 8 p.m., guests gathered for the ceremony. Videos featuring personal stories and messages were shown, highlighting the purpose behind the campaign. Candidates were introduced and walked down a red carpet as campaign manager Savannah Drdek read their names and personal messages. Each candidate chose a song to walk out to, including Boyer, Fraunfelder, Koons and McNulty, who entered to 4 Minutes by Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. The energy in the room was high.
During the ceremony, several speakers — including past visionaries — shared their experiences. Speakers included junior Mather Tassef and senior Noah Botros from St. Ignatius High School, senior Paige Kerber from Bay Village High School, seniors Luke Weinhauer and Emily Woolard from Brunswick High School and a leadership committee co-chair and principal from Polaris Career Center. They reflected on the campaign and offered encouragement. Kerber said, “You can do a lot in seven weeks with just one voice.”
The top three teams were Team Horizon (Brecksville High School), Mustangs For a Cure (Strongsville High School), and It Takes a Village (Bay Village High School), coming in first place, bringing in $245,000. Bay Village has officially raised over one million dollars in its Student Visionaries of the Year Program.
Blood Cancer United has invested more than $1.8 billion into ground-breaking research since 1949. They provide free educational resources and programs for patients and have created a team of over 100,000 volunteers across the United States. In 2026, the Northeast Ohio Student Visionaries of the Year campaign raised $1,958,186 for blood cancer. Team Rangers For a Cure contributed $45,000 this year and has raised more than $100,000 over the past three years.
Drdek said, “I love watching everyone grow throughout the campaign…learning different things, hitting different challenges, and having different successes is something I value a lot.”
For many candidates, the campaign was a meaningful experience. Students worked throughout the seven weeks to meet their goals and make an impact in their community by supporting those affected by blood cancer.
