On September 13, 黑料传送门 first-year Mental Health Counseling student Benni Litman (MS '27) took on 鈥� a 24-hour stair climb at the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Rocky steps 鈥� to benefit , which provides emergency support to local cancer patients and their families when other resources are exhausted.
鈥淓veryone knows someone affected by a cancer diagnosis, and it's always devastating鈥攅ven when you can afford treatment,鈥� Litman said. 鈥淚n our community, many people are choosing between treatment, medications, feeding their families or paying bills. Legacy of Hope steps in at that impossible moment. They make an incredible difference.鈥�
Litman first joined PHL24 at the invitation of a close friend, Trevor Budny, who discovered Legacy of Hope during his own cancer journey. After Budny went into remission in 2020, he asked friends to climb with him, and the tradition stuck.
鈥淭revor passed away in 2022,鈥� Litman said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been honoring him by taking on the stairs for six years now. Every round is for him 鈥� and for families we'll never meet but can still help.鈥�
Often described as the 鈥渆mergency medicine鈥� of patient support, Legacy of Hope partners with major cancer centers and community groups across Philadelphia to provide rapid assistance when all other resources have been exhausted, covering essentials like food, transportation and urgent bills so patients can focus on care.
PHL24 was simple in form 鈥� climb, descend, repeat 鈥� but demanding in practice. Between classes, Litman trained in short bursts, building a steady pace and stamina. 鈥淓ndurance is about small, sustainable choices鈥攁nd so is healing,鈥� Litman said. 鈥淚f our steps can make life even a little easier for one family, it's worth every flight.鈥�
For highlights from Litman's 24-hour stair climb 鈥� and to learn more about PHL24 鈥� visit .
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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Brandon Lausch
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6312