‘Yellowstone’: Cole Hauser’s Son Is Working on Major Charitable Endeavor

Yellowstone star Cole Hauser and Sweet Valley High star Cynthia Daniel’s son Ryland and his friends began fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society earlier this month. The Hauser family has a personal connection to lymphoma, as Cynthia’s twin sister Brittany Daniel survived a battle with stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Ryland, 17, and his friends are hoping to raise $250,000 for their Students of the Year campaign.

“I’d really appreciate [it] if you’d support my son Ryland and his friends Nick and Gio as they start their Students of the Year campaign for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,” Hauser wrote on Instagram on Jan. 12. “Over the next 7 weeks, they will be raising critical funds for blood cancer research. Ryland and his entire team, The Lymphoma Leaders are trying to raise $250,000. Any donation helps and is tax-deductible.” Hauser included a link to the donation form.

“I got involved with this campaign because of many complications with cancer in my family,” Ryland wrote in a statement for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “My Aunt suffered from Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, my grandmother survived Breast Cancer, and my grandfather passed away from Lung Cancer in 2008. I feel this is a great way to give back and help others fight cancer. I would love the opportunity to share more about it with you, in addition to the great work being conducted by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.”

Daniel and Brittany also spread the word on their Instagram pages. “As many of you know, I almost lost my battle with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma a decade ago,” Brittany wrote. “It would mean so much to me and my family if you’d support my nephew, Ryland Hauser, (in the middle of the photo) and his two teammates, Nick and Gio, as they start their “Students of the Year” campaign for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!”

Hauser and Daniel married in 2006. They are also parents to Cold, 13, and Steely, 8. Earlier this month, Daniel and Brittany revealed that Daniel was Brittany’s egg donor. In October, Brittany and her husband Adam Touni welcomed their daughter Hope via a surrogate. Brittany was told she would likely not be able to have children after six months of chemotherapy.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Brittany said her sister and Hauser “didn’t hesitate” to help her. “Words cannot express how grateful I am to her,” Brittany told the magazine. Cynthia finally met her niece in December. “I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel at first, what emotions would come up,” Cynthia told PEOPLE. “But I just felt like the aunt. And that is really special.”

Hauser’s fans praised Ryland, and many pledged their support for the good cause. Many even shared their own stories as cancer survivors. “As a lymphoma surviver I just want to say THANK YOU!” one fan wrote. “Great cause, and effort by your son! Donated,” another shared. “Thank you so much! We just donated! As I went through chemotherapy last year,” another commented.