“I want to see a world without blood cancer,” Grieser said. “That’s what this team and this campaign are about.”
Team Box Out Cancer consists of 14 Northwestern High School students, all members of the student council. The group has been preparing for a seven-week fundraising and awareness campaign that officially began Jan. 28, with the goal of raising $25,000 to support blood cancer research, patient education and family support.
Blood Cancer United, formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, has helped advance about 70% of blood cancer treatment options approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 2017, according to the organization.
In addition to fundraising, Grieser’s team selected Patient Education & Support as their campaign pillar. Plans include writing letters and delivering gifts to oncology units and patients across the Dayton and Springfield areas.
Grieser became involved after being nominated by Kim O’Neill, a member of Blood Cancer United’s Dayton-area leadership committee. O’Neill contacted Northwestern Student Council adviser Whitney Walsh, who immediately thought of Grieser.
“When this organization was brought to my attention and I needed a student to pioneer the way, AJ Grieser immediately came to mind,” Walsh said. “He gives everything he has to every project and having lost his best friend and cousin to cancer, his passion for this cause is deeply personal.”
In 2019, Grieser lost his cousin and best friend, Barrett Fitzsimmons, to cancer.
“Barrett is my ‘why,’” Grieser said. “He’s the reason I don’t give up when something is hard, whether that’s running a half-marathon, finishing a cross-country race, or taking on something like this campaign.”
The only exception to that inspiration, Grieser said, is that he will be attending Ohio State, and Barrett was a die-hard Michigan fan.
The team’s name and logo, however, reflect Barrett’s inspiration. Boxing gloves appear in the design as a tribute to Barrett’s fight and to the foundation created in his memory.
“Watching him suffer and spend weeks in the hospital changed me forever,” Grieser said. “This is my first major step to help keep other families from experiencing what mine did.”
Team Box Out Cancer will host its first of many fundraising events Feb. 7 during halftime of the Northwestern boys’ varsity basketball game. Chuck-a-Duck will invite community members to purchase rubber ducks for a chance to toss them into a bucket and win a gift card to a local restaurant.
The Dayton-area Student Visionaries campaign also honors a local hero. Lincoln, who was diagnosed with high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2023 at age 2 and is now cancer-free, is this year’s hero.
Blood Cancer United Dayton-area campaign manager Emilee Barnett said Grieser embodies exactly what the Student Visionaries program aims to inspire.
“AJ is an ideal student to take on that task,” Barnett said. “His personal connection, organization and work ethic are all qualities we look for in a candidate. We would love to see multiple Springfield schools represented in future campaigns.”
As he looks ahead to college and a future career in medical device sales, Grieser says the mission of Team Box Out Cancer will continue to shape his path.
“This is about more than fundraising,” he said. “It’s about awareness, compassion and making sure families know they’re not alone.”
Follow Team Box Out Cancer on Facebook for campaign updates and upcoming events.
“We’re grateful for any and all support,” Grieser said. “Every donation, every share, every act of kindness makes a difference.”
Donations can be made online at tinyurl.com/4mzrs6rm or by contacting the team at boxoutcancer@gmail.com for cash, checks or business sponsorship opportunities. All donations are tax deductible.
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