Marcella B. Schankweiler, Esquire

For irreplaceable memories with their loved ones, hundreds of cancer patients have her to thank. For the compassion and courage to help them, she thanks her Catholic Education.

“I was fortunate and blessed to have gone to a Catholic school my entire life,” says Marcella Schankweiler,” which instilled within me a strong sense of community and compassion, of drive and dedication to make the world a better place.”

Just how to put this awareness into action became clear to Ms. Schankweiler while on a Catholic-community-funded vacation with her cancer-stricken husband, Peter. She wanted to help other families dealing with cancer to reconnect with each other and build new lifelong memories the way she and Peter had.

So in 1999, only weeks after Peter’s death, Ms. Schankweiler founded Crossing the Finish Line, a nonprofit organization that sends young adult cancer patients and their families on all-expense-paid respite vacations.

Since then, Ms. Schenkweiler has given 850 cancer patients and more than 3,000 caregivers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make memories together away from the rigors of cancer treatment. An active member of the St. Rose of Lima Parish and St. Rose of Lima Parish School in North Wales, Ms. Schankweiler has been recognized by People Magazine and Major League Baseball as a finalist in the “People All-Stars Among Us” contest. She was also recently recognized as a Woman of Distinction by Philadelphia Business Journal and presented with LaSalle University’s alumni award, the Signum Fidei Medal.