{"id":21777,"date":"2019-12-04T17:50:37","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T22:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.customink.com\/?p=21777"},"modified":"2019-12-05T11:53:10","modified_gmt":"2019-12-05T16:53:10","slug":"the-driven-to-cure-fundraiser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.customink.com\/blog\/the-driven-to-cure-fundraiser\/","title":{"rendered":"The Driven to Cure Fundraiser"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"andrew<\/p>\n

Most nineteen-year-olds are just getting started with their lives, making plans for the future, and living in the moment. But Andrew Lee\u2019s nineteenth year brought him a diagnosis of Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer (HLRCC), a condition so rare it has only been identified in 300 families in the world. It has no known cure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took the wind out of our sails,\u201d says Andrew\u2019s father, Bruce H. Lee. \u201cIt was devastating news to learn that it was stage four incurable cancer and that he was diagnosed with a six-month to a year window to live.\u201d He goes on, \u201cEverything that you planned for, everything you\u2019re hoping for just goes out the window, and you suddenly become an advocate for getting him the best care and help. Andrew was amazing, though, because he only for maybe 20 minutes asked \u2018why me\u2019 and then all of a sudden he looked at me and said \u2018Dad, let\u2019s beat this.\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

After taking the time to process the diagnosis, Bruce asked Andrew what his life goals were. Andrew joked that he needed to own a Nissan GTR, the $100,000 flashy sports car he had always dreamed of owning. Instead of taking it as a joke, Andrew\u2019s parents bought one for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin days of driving the car off the lot, I found myself attending local car shows,\u201d Andrew wrote for his nonprofit Driven to Cure’s<\/a> website. \u201cMy story began spreading, and within a month, people started to recognize me and why I had this incredible vehicle\u2026. It was then I realized that the vehicle of my dreams was also the vehicle which gave me the opportunity to make a difference; to do something bigger than myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

He saw that he could use his car to help raise money and awareness about HLRCC, so he recruited his father, Bruce, to help start a nonprofit foundation. Bruce says Andrew told him, \u201cI want to start a nonprofit and raise awareness about this rare cancer. I\u2019ll take my car and we\u2019ll use it as a show car. I want to call it Driven to Cure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bruce helped Andrew get special permission to take an advanced entrepreneurial course at his university where Andrew partnered with a professor to make the business plan while Bruce secured the trademark, put together a board of directors and filed for 501 c3 status. They also worked on tricking out the car.<\/p>\n

They set out to obtain support from automobile companies and auto enthusiasts and managed to catch the attention of Nissan and BASF who jumped in to amplify the message. Nissan made a replica model of Andrew\u2019s car, and BASF donated money to the cause and helped paint the Nissan a custom orange, the color of kidney cancer awareness. By the time the school year ended, the car was ready to go and so was the organization.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe hit the circuit,\u201d Bruce says. \u201cWe did a variety of different car shows. We bought a trailer and got it wrapped and started driving to events.\u201d BASF sponsored their trip to SEMA, a major car show in Las Vega. \u201cFrom there it went international,\u201d Bruce says.<\/p>\n

It was about this time that they found Custom Ink and became familiar with the fundraising platform<\/a>. They discovered that they could raise both money and awareness by selling custom gear with their logo and message. These fundraisers became a key part of their company’s strategy.<\/p>\n

The funds they raised went toward kidney cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Andrew didn\u2019t just work to raise money for research at NIH, he also personally joined seven research trials, flying home from college every couple of weeks to undergo experimental treatments. These trials have been credited with helping to prolong his life three years past his one-year prognosis and his participation provided crucial data for future research. He also gave a lot of his time to help other young people grappling with similar diagnoses.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy GTR has proven to be the closest thing I have to a cure for my cancer,\u201d Andrew wrote for his website. \u201cDriving the GTR has become a tremendous outlet for me. The places I have gone, the people I have met, and the passions I have developed just because of this gift have become the best medicine available.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Andrew passed away in April 2019, at the age of 23, but his work and legacy live on. When his father put out the announcement, they received donations from 160 countries.<\/p>\n

The impact their efforts have made on the car industry has also been significant. The 2019 Paul Walker Memorial Ride, a recent memorial for actor Paul Walker who was made famous for his appearance in the Fast and Furious movie franchise, included a moment of silence for Andrew, and the major car auction event Carlisle Import and Performance Nationals has changed its name to now be called Carlisle Import and Performance Nationals Benefitting Driven to Cure.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, the word is getting out there. Bruce says they\u2019ve received notice of other possible cases of HLRCC being investigated because of their campaigns. \u201cWhat\u2019s profound about all this is that Andrew really wanted to raise awareness because if you catch it early you can work with it. You can\u2019t cure it, but you can have an opportunity to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Driven to Cure is currently running a fundraiser to help continue Andrew\u2019s mission to raise awareness and find a cure for HLRCC. Show your support today by buying a shirt and sharing the message.<\/p>\n