Former Rockford Man Turns Wedding Into Big Cancer Fundraiser

A former Rockford man is gaining national media attention. for a reason that will warm your heart.

Cancer has affected each and every one of us in one way or another. Whether it's been you, a family member, a friend, a patient. 1.7 people are newly diagnosed with cancer in the United States every year. It's a horrible disease.

AJ Manas was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2015. He had only been dating his girlfriend for 6 months. He beat the cancer and the rest of their love story is pretty much a fairy tale. When AJ and Michelle decided to get married, they had something a little out of the ordinary in mind when it came to their wedding reception. Instead of going and registering for gifts as traditional couples do, they decided to forgo gifts and hold a fundraiser for the Lymphoma Research Foundation raising money to help fight a disease they has battled together and defeated. The couple asked guests to donate to the foundation in lieu of gifts. They also asked vendors to offer their services at reduced fees so they could donate the extra money in the vendor's name. They ended up raising over $80,000.

Talk about a jaw dropper. No wonder they were featured on the Today Show and Time Magazine. The couple now resides in California. If we could all only be so generous.