It’s Time To Light The Night Against Leukemia

Every five minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Every ten minutes someone dies from those cancers. Leukemia is the leading cause of cancer death of children and young adults under the age of 20. In the United States alone, in 2007, an estimated 52,310 people died from blood cancers.

Light The Night is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual evening walk that celebrates and commemorates lives touched by cancer. Survivors carry illuminated white balloons, while supporters carry red ones. Last year the Light The Night walk route was altered slightly so that patients on Danbury Hospital’s cancer floor were able to see the balloons.

It is a two- to three-mile noncompetitive walk that has no fitness requirements and is held in more than 240 communities throughout the United States and Canada.

The 4th Annual Danbury Light The Night Walk will take place later this month, and Newtown residents are among those planning to participate and hoping others will still decide to join them. The 2008 walk will be Saturday, September 27, at Western Connecticut State University’s midtown (main) campus. Check-in begins at 5:30 pm.

Anyone can take part; children, adults, and seniors are all welcome. This is a casual walk with no fitness requirements.

Ginny Chion is again organizing a team from Newtown. Mrs Chion lost her son, Greg, in October 2000, less than a year after being diagnosed with AML leukemia.

In addition to walking, there is also music, food, and family activities.

“This is a very family-oriented, fun event,” she promised. “We see people not only from Newtown and Danbury, but also Bethel, Brookfield, New Fairfield, and Ridgefield last year.”

Newtown teams were credited with raising more than $4,000 in 2006, and in 2007 Greg’s Group raised more than $4,500. Connecticut’s five Light The Night Walks last year raised more than $510,000.

Funds raised continue The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s efforts by enabling researchers to continue investigating causes, treatments, and cures of blood cancer diseases; supporting government advocacy efforts to ensure attention to cancer-related issues; creating support assistance programs for patients and their families; helping educate health care professionals on the latest medical advances; and providing information to the public on leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.

Anyone interested in joining the Newtown team, or even forming their own team, is asked to contact Mrs Chion at 426-0851. To support a team financially, contact Mrs Chion or visit the national website LightTheNight.org. Full information about walking and incentives is also available online.

Additional information for the local walk is also available from LuAnn Leclerk at the Meriden office of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Contact her at 203-427-2073 or LuAnn.Leclerc@lls.org.