Ashley Webster, circulation manager for The Business Journal, has been named the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year for her part in a fundraising campaign that raised a total of $576,429.

Webster and her campaign team raised more than $151,000 to fund blood cancer research, capping off a 10-week campaign culminating in Friday evening’s Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) annual Grand Finale Celebration at the Fresno Convention Center.

The evening featured stories of hope from those who survived and succumbed to blood cancer. Live and silent auctions and other spirited fundraising (including a real-time tally broadcast to attendees able to pledge via their mobile devices) benefited LLS, which has invested more than $1 billion in blood cancer research since its founding in 1949.

The heart of that effort came from 14 people — nine women and five men — who were nominated as candidates for Man & Woman of the Year, tasked with raising as much as they can for LLS.

Ultimately, that figure combined reached more than half a million dollars.

Paul Lilles, a director and administrator for Valley Children’s Specialty Medical Group, was named Man of the Year, raising more than $109,000. Runner up for Man of the Year was Kenny “Santa Claus” Schoelen, who with his long white beard moonlights as “The Man with All the Toys” at children’s events throughout the Valley. He raised more than $24,000.

Runner up for Woman of the Year was Kirin Sran, a Bakersfield native and Fresno resident who is an active volunteer and stay-at-home mom. She raised more than $103,000.

Webster said she was moved by the stories of each candidate, as well as the legacy of Joyce Schmidt, the sister of her mother Jean Webster. Schmidt died as a teenager from acute lymphocytic leukemia.

“I’ve been inspired by my own connection to blood cancer in our family,” she said. “I did this for my aunt Joyce, who I never got to meet.”

Webster is approaching her 10-year anniversary with The Business Journal, which is helmed by Publisher Gordon Webster, her father. Ashley Webster is the fifth generation family member involved with the newspaper, which was founded by her great-great grandfather Morris Shelby Webster in 1888.

The other Man & Woman of the Year candidates were Aamer Hayat with Saint Agnes Medical Center; Anne Marie Prentice, M.D. with Central California Faculty Medical Group; Jessie Miranda with Wilbur Ellis Co.; Dr. Robert Watts, Jr. of Watts & Associates; Robin Whitney with UCSF-Fresno; Sarah Bugayong with Clovis Unified School District; Shantelle Andrews with Cal Ag Business Services; Stephen Mayu, Jr. with Chase Bank; Terra Brusseau with Central Valley Group and Tim Ryan with Associated Students, Inc. at Fresno State.