Meet Bill Lennie, the 2022 Spirit of Life honoree
As a 26-year Home Depot veteran, Bill Lennie is intimately familiar with the industry icons who have led the City of Hope fundraising campaigns in recent decades. He was there in 1993 for his first Spirit of Life celebration honoring Bill Patterson of HomeBase.
And as a cancer survivor, Lennie brings a personal passion to his new role as the fund raising lead for the California research and treatment facility, famous for its advances in the fight against cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases .
Lennie was diagnosed in 1988.
“There’s a wave of emotions that hit you when you’re first diagnosed with cancer,” he said. “First, you ask yourself, ‘why me?’ and ‘what did I do to cause this?’ But those questions quickly fade to ‘what now?’ And ‘what’s next?’”
When he was tapped as the 2022 Spirit of Life honoree, Lennie had no hesitation to jump on board for the chance to help City of Hope continue its innovative treatments and its groundbreaking research that impact more than one hundred million lives every year around the world.
“City of Hope is a global leader in the fight against cancer and other life threatening diseases,” he said. “Their groundbreaking research and innovative treatments impact over one-hundred million people globally each year. They create the answers to that question of ‘what now?’
Mission possible
The following is an excerpt from Bill Lennie’s remarks during a recent City of Hope Virtual Tour:
"All of us are impacted by cancer in our lifetime. For me it has been as both a survivor of early-stage cancer at the age of 33, and, more recently, by the loss of my brother-in law Darin Bowe.
"Darin was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s T-Cell Lymphoma in 2007. He was treated at the Mayo Clinic for a period of 10-years. The City of Hope served as a consultant to Darin and his wife Kelly, providing confidence his treatment plans were correct and that everything possible was being done. We lost Darin on Aug. 10,, 2017. But those 10 years allowed Darin to see his son through high school, graduate college, and start his professional career. You cannot put a value on that time.
"The Bellardi Family story motivates us to stay on this mission and allow us to celebrate success. Darin’s story reminds us that we have much more work to do."
“Their work depends on philanthropy and the generosity of industries like ours,” he said. “Once you face that question of what now, you have a burning desire to do things to try to create that answer for other people who are faced with that situation.”
It’s not easy to explain the outpouring of support the hardware and homebuilding industry directs to City of Hope. But that support will be on full display at the Spirit of Life Gala, which will return live and in-person Feb. 7 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, Fla.
City of Hope was built on the principles of compassion, excellence, integrity, and collaboration. “Their culture resonates strongly with the culture of our industry,” Lennie said. “Our industry is filled with compassionate people who find ways to get involved and give back to their communities to make a difference for others’ lives. I think that’s why it resonates so well with our industry.
“When it comes to City of Hope, it is an industry-wide cause. We take the gloves off, and we work collaboratively to make a difference for people and fight catastrophic diseases.”
The hardware and homebuilding industry has raised more than $170 million over the years for Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope. The fundraising efforts have been led by many of the best-known names in home improvement, including Leonard Herring and Robert Strickland of Lowe’s — the first honorees -- and the executive leaders who founded The Home Depot, Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank and Pat Farrah.
One of the common themes of past Spirit of Life honorees is the understanding that cancer affects us all, either directly or indirectly. Another is a desire to do something about it.
Following in the footsteps of iconic industry leaders to take on the Spirit of Life mantle comes with a mix of emotions including pride and humility, Lennie said.
“And those feelings were immediately followed by a sense of purpose and responsibility for making sure that the 2022 campaign is successful,” he added. “You want to do everything possible to enable City of Hope to continue its profound work.”
