In April 2014, Tom Teach was overjoyed when his 4-year old grandson Ben received a bone marrow transplant facilitated by Be The Match. For nearly six beautiful months after, Ben laughed and smiled as a cancer-free little boy. But when Ben’s leukemia returned in October, nothing could be done. Tom and his family said goodbye to their sweet boy in February 2015.

Today, Tom is a passionate champion of Be The Match. In addition to helping acquire key sponsorships for the Be The Match Walk+Run event and organizing successful registry drives with the Navy, Tom has been a tireless fundraiser. Participating as “Team Ben” in Chicago’s Be the Match Walk+Run (pictured above), his team raised nearly $44,000, with more than $7,000 of that sum brought in single-handedly by Tom, in loving memory of his grandson.