How One Author Is Using His Book To Lead a Movement

How One Author Is Using His Book To Lead a Movement 

Eighty-one percent of the population believes they have a book inside of them, according to writer Joseph Epstein. Yet few ever write it. 

Christos Kalogirou did not want to fall prey to that statistic. After a long and lengthy process (give or take 15 years), Christos Kalogirou realized that his greater purpose was to write a book about his life. “I made good money managing stores for my family. It was great pay, but not very glamorous.” After a health scare that left him in a coma for several weeks, he knew it was time to take action. 

In his book Wild Dogs, Kalogirou writes about his experiences as a schoolboy at the prestigious Athol Murray College of Notre Dame. It is a story of redemption, work ethic, and the value of friendships. 

Still, he wanted his book to do more than teach others through his own experiences. That’s when he came across sobering news about his former schoolmate, Mandi Schwartz. “We were never really friends, but our high school was small I remember her being very driven in sports and school just someone so full of life. says Kalogirou. “I found that she was struggling with leukemia and it really hit me to see her going through, something like that.” 

As such, he took action working very closely with the National Hockey League (NHL) and an organization called One Match. “The best bet for beating leukemia is to get a stem cell transplant, but it can be difficult to find someone who is a match for your body,” he said. Through his partnership with the Notre Dame Hounds (the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame student body) and One Match, he dedicated his resources to trying to find matches for other families and loved ones dealing with the same type of situation. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, Mandi lost her battle with leukemia on April 3rd, 2011.  Still, Christos was determined to carry on the mission.  

Christos’s commitment is two-fold. The first is continuing to bring awareness to leukemia and the work of One Match. Leukemia is a deadly cancer that affects the production and function of blood cells. While it is treatable, treatments are complex and taxing on the patient. One of the most effective ways to treat leukemia is through a stem cell transplant. That’s where One Match comes in. One Match helps match leukemia patients with stem cell donors. Anyone can help save a life by swabbing their cheek. “It’s that’s simple. For a few simple moments of your time, you could literally save someone’s life,” adds Kalogirou  

The second part of his commitment is raising awareness about Mandi’s Story. All profits from his book Wild Dogs, that is dedicated to all Notre Dame Hounds, will go directly to the Mandi Schwartz Foundation. 

“I don’t need the money from this book,” says Kalogirou. “That’s not why I wrote it. I wanted to bring attention to Mandi’s cause and others who are going through what she went through.” Christos’s book has done far more than he could have imagined. Not only is Wild Dogs now a best seller on many charts, but he is also currently entertaining offers for movie deals, more book projects, and other creative works. More importantly, he has raised attention and support for those battling leukemia. “This is certainly a dream come true. I never imagined this support, but now that it’s here, I want to create more meaningful and impactful entertainment.” 

Christos’s advice to others: “Value your time. The time that we have here is very precious. Do what you want to do; help who you want to help. If you want to tell someone something, tell them. Don’t have any regrets, get out there and live don’t just be alive.”