Lukas Politis

A media and strategic communications student at Iona College, Lukas Politis participates in various charitable organizations. Lukas Politis volunteered for St. Baldrick’s Foundation by having his hair shaved during the foundation’s head-shaving event in March 2019. Lukas has been an active participant for the past 10 years.

Every year, 300,000 children are diagnosed with cancer around the world. More American children die of cancer than any other disease. About two-thirds of childhood cancer survivors have to put up with the long-term effects of treatment such as hearing loss, visual impairment, secondary cancers, infertility, heart disease, learning disabilities, and many others.

There are more than a dozen types of childhood cancers in addition to countless subtypes. Each of the types and subtypes requires specific studies and research to find the best treatment. However, over the last two decades, only four new drugs developed to treat children with cancer have been approved. Additionally, less than 4 percent of the annual budget of the National Cancer Institute is allotted to childhood cancer research.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s advocacies in childhood cancer research will change these realities. In collaboration with top pediatric oncologists, the foundation searches for the most promising research to fund.

St. Baldrick’s Foundation funds hospitals that are performing high-impact clinical trials. It places more patients in the study to increase the progress rate while increasing the chances of the patients getting the best treatment plan. The foundation also funds researchers that collaborate so that research conducted is shared between organizations, giving all childhood cancer patients the chance for a cure.

Moreover, the foundation provides training for the next generation of oncologists to ensure that every childhood cancer patient will have a doctor and that the future research efforts will not be interrupted. St. Baldrick’s Foundation also funds supportive care research to continue to enrich the lives of childhood cancer survivors.

Lukas Politis has worked several jobs while studying at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York. A media and strategic communications major, Lukas Politis has taken coursework in traditional media, such as broadcast, as well as digital literacy.

Social media is a major aspect of digital media. An effective social media campaign can be used to launch or enhance a number of ventures. Such campaigns begin by establishing a plan for the business. The plan begins with fleshing out goals that can range from increasing reach and leads to increasing traffic to a website. The campaign should include identifying a demographic (or audience for the campaign), and picking the most appropriate platform.

After developing a plan of action, get creative. Today’s social media platforms are more adaptive to a range of technologies. Common elements seen online include Facebook groups, chatbot technologies, animated stories, and collaborative ventures that pair related products provided by two or more businesses. Those using social media to attract customers can be competing with millions in a single industry, and a little creativity can go a long way in attracting and retaining customers.