Ursula McIntyre, an employee of Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway, has been named Woman of the Year by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Westchester/Hudson Valley chapter for her recent Herculean fundraising efforts.

McIntyre is a longtime Yonkers resident who came to the U.S. in 1982 from her native Co. Galway. She doubles as executive administrative assistant to casino president Timothy J. Rooney (since 1994), and is director of pari mutual for the raceway since 2006.

Inspired by her late father, Martin, who passed away from lymphoma, McIntyre spearheaded efforts to raise funds for blood cancer research at the second annual Team Trinity banquet at the casino on May 10. McIntyre and her team generated $118,000 in proceeds.

“It was a team effort,” said McIntyre. “My father was the inspiration. Cancer is everywhere. It feels good to do something. I can’t cure it, so raising money for research is the next best thing. It’s hard work, but very satisfying. It was a job well done but the entire committee. You can’t do it alone.”

The award was announced at the society's grand finale celebration on May 17 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Tarrytown.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man and Woman of the Year (MWOY) campaign is a fundraising competition in communities across the U.S. in which participants vie for the title of Man or Woman of the Year. They raise funds for blood cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors, the Boy and Girl of the Year.