The Light The Night Walk Blog

Jack’s Mannequin Pledges to Match Donations

lazzaric — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:48:50 GMT

Talented artist, Andrew McMahon, of the piano rock band, Jack's Mannequin, made a statement on the group’s national Light The Night Walk fundraising page (Choose Jack’s Mannequin from this list). He vows that the band will match up to $40,000 in donations to their walk team. Watch his special video to fans and teammates.

Andrew’s passion to fight blood cancers stems from his own battle. In June of 2005, at 22 years old, and a few months from the release of the band’s debut album, Everything in Transit, Andrew was suddenly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. August 23rd of that year marked the date of Andrew’s stem cell transplant from his sister and donor, Katie, as well as the release of the band’s album.

He has since made a full recovery and the band has really taken off. They’ve just released their second album, The Glass Passenger. And, they performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Oct. 3rd. But, even with all of his success, Andrew remains deeply focused on raising awareness and funding to fight cancer.

In July 2006, Andrew founded, The Dear Jack Foundation which named The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as one its primary beneficiaries.

Each year, The Jack’s Mannequin Team raises tens of thousands of dollars through The Light The Night Walk. This year, the team aims to raise $100,000. With the support of loyal fans and this new pledge from the band, the team has nearly reached its goal!

Take a look at this video Andrew made last year for The Light The Night Walk.

A Partnership worth More than a Million Bucks

lazzaric — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:32:37 GMT

Congratulations to a super star team at Burlington Coat Factory. As the Light The Night Walk’s first Million Dollar Partner, Burlington Coat Factory continues to show tremendous support for The Leukemia & Lymphoma’s (LLS) mission to fight blood cancers.

Through this six year partnership history with Light The Night, the company has remained the campaign’s #1 National Partner each year – bringing in more than $3 million to date. They were the first retailer to sell paper balloon on behalf of LLS and received a National Walk Award from LLS in 2002.

In 2007, the company’s inaugural year as a Million Dollar Partner, in-store paper balloon sales at nearly 400 retail locations and Walk Team participation brought in $1,145,000.

This year, after just 9 weeks of the paper balloon sales campaign, Burlington Coat Factory has already exceeded the $1 Million mark. The paper balloon sales campaign will continue through Black Friday, November 29th, 2008.

National Team Captain for Burlington Coat Facory, Christopher Pilla, said,

“Our employees and customers have shown great support with our Light the Night paper balloon icon campaign in our stores as well as joining us at our local community walks. Our Balloon Sales campaign will run appropriately enough right through to the Friday after Thanksgiving. We encourage you to visit your local Burlington Coat Factory store to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Thank you for your continued support!”

Click here to find a store near you. Visit before the end of the campaign to purchase your paper balloon and help fund research and programs for blood cancer patients.

Fans Meet American Idol Contestant at Light The Night

lazzaric — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:06:50 GMT

At The Light The Night Walk in Savannah, GA this weekend, two fans were pleasantly surprised to meet one of their favorite American Idol stars, Stephanie Edwards. She gave a great performance and posed for photos with fans. Stephanie's inspirational, On Our Way, is the official song of The 2008 Light The Night season.

* Photos from: Scooting Around Savannah

Movie, “The Express” Honors a Life Taken by Leukemia

lazzaric — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:58:02 GMT

In 1961, Ernie Davis was at the top of his game. He fought a daily battle against racial inequality and struggled to prove his worth on the football field. Against the odds, Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy for his stellar performance at Syracuse University. Unfortunately, his war on the green was not the only one this young man would fight. At 23, he landed an NFL spot with the Cleveland Browns. But, he never made it to the field, having lost his battle with leukemia.

A true America hero, Ernie Davis’ life is immortalized in a film opening on October 10, “The Express” starring Rob Brown and Dennis Quaid. Rob Brown, who plays the part of Davis, has been serving as the 2008 Light The Night Walk Spokesman in honor of Davis’ battle. View the trailer here.

“Playing Davis has helped me understand that all blood cancer patients deserve to live better, longer lives,” explained Rob Brown. As Spokesman for The Light The Night Walk, he has helped many people understand just how precious life is and how easily cancer can cut it short. See his message to supporters here.

Whether you walking for your child, your grandmother, or a Heisman Trophy winner, remember that every step you take puts us one step closer to winning our fight against blood cancers. Thank you for walking!

Make Your Mark in the Fight Against Childhood Cancers

lazzaric — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:33:59 GMT

If you’re attending a local Light The Night Walk this year, you’re in luck! For the first time, at each of the 240 walks across the country, the Hyundai Hope on Wheels white Santa Fe, covered from top to bottom in colorful handprints, will be pulling up to make a pit stop.

At 30 Light The Night Walk locations, a special handprint ceremony will be conducted where children can make their mark on the vehicle in honor of a child battling cancer. (See below for a list of these locations.)

In the United States, about 10,730 children under the age of 15 are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year. Lymphoma is the third most common cancer in children, following leukemia, and neoplasms of the brain and other nervous tissue. The goal of the tour is to raise awareness about all pediatric cancers and celebrate and honor each of these strong boys and girls in their fights.

As both Hope on Wheels and Light The Night celebrate their 10th anniversaries, a new commitment has been added to the program. To commemorate a decade of support, Hyundai will make a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s network of doctors engaged in pediatric cancer research.

Light The Night Walk’s Featuring the Handprint Ceremony:

Syracuse : 9/17/2008
Anaheim: 9/20/2008
Denver: 9/25/2008
Rochester: 9/26/2008
Sacramento: 9/27/2008
Providence: 9/27/2008
Tacoma: 9/27/2008
Nashua: 9/27/2008
Orlando: 9/27/2008
Charlotte: 9/27/2008
Boise: 10/2/2008
Pittsburgh: 10/2/2008
Kapolei: 10/4/2008
St. Paul : 10/4/2008
Atlanta: 10/11/2008
El Paso : 10/11/2008
Fort Worth: 10/12/2008
Columbus: 10/18/2008
Fresno: 10/18/2008
Tampa: 10/18/2008
Washington: 10/18/2008
San Antonio: 10/25/2008
Fort Lauderdale: 10/25/2008
Houston: 10/26/2008
Glendale: 11/1/2008
Metairie: 11/15/2008

Past events:
Lisle : 9/6/2008
Lancaster : 9/10/2008
Overland Park : 9/12/2008
St. Louis : 9/12/2008

Lighting the Way to The Olympics

lazzaric — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:27:09 GMT

The following post was written by Hugh Baker, a Canadian Bobsleigh hopeful for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. After losing a close friend to a blood cancer, Mr. Baker set his dreams in motion and began training for the Olympics. As he raises the necessary funds to compete, he is simultaneously donating 50% of the money received to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk. You can follow Mr. Baker’s journey to the Olympics on his web site: http://www.hughbaker.net.

Everyone has a dream. It could be anything from climbing Mt. Everest to being the best parent you possibly can. My name is Hugh Baker, and I am currently working towards making my dream come true. My dream is to represent my country on the biggest stage and inspire others along the way.

In 2005, a truly good person in my life lost his fight with a blood cancer. The thing that always stood out about my friend was his ability to always be positive. I rarely remember him without a smile. Last year,
I was part of a team who did the Light the Night walk in his honor.

In May of 2006, I took the first real steps to making my dream a reality and attended an identification camp held by Alberta Bobsleigh. By November, I was representing Canada at the Europa cup for the sports of Bobsleigh and Skeleton. This experience made me realize that this truly was what I wanted. I wanted to go to the Olympics.

In 2007, I needed to take the next step in order to make my dreams come true. I held a number of fundraisers to raise the money required to travel and compete in Europe. It was during this time, that I had a paradigm shift. I realized the reason I was doing this was not to only to make my dreams come true, but also to inspire anyone I came in contact with. I now had a greater duty than thinking of personal glory. And I had an idea of how I could live up to this higher calling.

Remembering my friend, I have decided to take my goal of inspiring others to the next level. I will continue to have fundraisers to help supplement my training costs, but I will also be donating half of all money raised to a worthy charity – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk.

It is my belief that with all of our help, we can wipe these blood cancers off the face of the earth. And in that, we will be making a lot of dreams come true.

*The photos in this post originally appeared on http://www.hughbaker.net.

Magna Cum Philanthropist

lazzaric — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:05:53 GMT

College is typically a time of studying, partying, self-exploration and planning your future. But, it's not often that your actions during these four years really make a significant impact on the lives of others.

At California State University Fresno (a.k.a. Fresno State), students enrolled in Marketing courses at the Craig School of Business are learning more than just how to become business-savvy execs. They're learning how to fold charity, fundraising and volunteerism into their every day lives.

For the past three years, in partnership with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, students have had the option of organizing and leading a Friends & Family Team and participating in The Light The Night Walk- for course credit!

As part of individual coursework, students are required to complete a service-learning project. In short, the project is meant to teach students to lead a philanthropic or entrepreneurial initiative.

After completing his "Light The Night Project," former Marketing student, Ryan Summers, put it best: "It felt really good to do something for someone else. Sometimes you get wrapped up in your life and think you have so much to worry about; events like this put everything into perspective."

By accepting the challenge, the student becomes a Team Captain and recruits a group of people to walk. S/he sets fundraising goals, develops a marketing plan, organizing fundraising activities, creates marketing materials - including flyers, poster and letters - and executes the plan. The project culminates with the walk - this year it's on October 6th - held on-campus.

Since 2005, more than 200 students at Fresno State have completed The Light The Night Project, raising a total of $70,000. Dr. Skip Sherwood, Professor Emeritus of Marketing and member of the LTN Committee, lends his expertise to students involved in this project. He notes, "As a former marketing professor, I am constantly overwhelmed by the dedication, passion, and abilities of the students in the Craig School of Business."

To learn more about the Light The Night Walk in Fresno or a community near you, visit www.lightthenight.org.

For more information on The Light The Night Project , visit the Fresno State information page.

Image from www.fresnostatenews.com.

Blogging for Blood Cancers – August 11-18

lazzaric — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:53:13 GMT

Thanks to our friend Lois over at Goodies for Mom for telling us about the Blogging for Blood Cancers event that she’s organizing in conjunction with Friends of Heroes national Light The Night Team! Together, they have started week-long blogging initiative where bloggers across the web will join together and blog about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The inaugural Blogging for Blood Cancersevent, taking place during the week of August 11th, is a great way to raise awareness about the fight against blood cancers and to share your story. If you write or contribute to a blog, you can be a part of it too, and be entered to win some great prizes.

Friends of Heroes(which Lois is also a member of) is a national Light the Night Friends and Family Team. It is comprised of moms, dads, families and friends compelled to help find a cure for blood cancers. Friends of Heroes is the largest team of this type in the country and, this year, hopes to reach the $1 million mark in donations for this year’s Light The Night Walk.

Visit the event post for more information, banners for the event, and a list of prizes. And start blogging!

These are the Days of our Lives . . .

lazzaric — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:55:52 GMT

How many soap fans out there? Come on, don’t be shy. Here at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we play favorites. The hands-down winner is NBC’s The Days of our Lives. Aside from entertaining audiences for more than 40 years with plot twists and cliff-hangers, drama and romance, the show has played an important role in educating people about LLS.

In 2002, Chloe, a leading character, was diagnoses with leukemia. Following her story, the audience learned about the threats of this disease and the struggle to find a matching marrow donor. The other characters joined together organize events, donate money, form walk teams and raise money for The Light The Night Walk. Take a look at this scene, which originally aired on September 20, 2002, where Roman and Kate end a heated argument to participate in walk.

The show has been a invaluable supporter of Light The Night. In these last six years, they’ve featured the event several times, tied in fundraisers and included stories touching some of the most popular characters. And we love every minute of it!

Dianne & Chuck: For Love and the Mission

lazzaric — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:29:46 GMT

Team I Do: Put yourself in the shoes of Dianne or Chuck, in Orange County, CA. They met and began dating and fell in love. Shortly after, Dianne was hospitalized and diagnosed with Stage IV Lymphoma. With this terrifying news, Dianne told Chuck that he should run for the door – that her diagnosis wouldn’t be fair or fun for him. Remarkably, Chuck said “Dianne, when God gives you a gift, you don’t give it back.” And from that moment on, the pair knew they would fight tooth and nail to battle cancer and face the world, together. Chuck proposed to Dianne at her hospital bedside.

Three months into a relationship, I can’t imagine that there are too many people who would have faced this threat the way that Chuck did.

After six months of excruciating chemotherapy and treatments, with Chuck by her side, Dianne is now in 100% remission. And the two are due to be married this September. Happily ever after ---

The story could end here, but instead, this astounding couple is selflessly turning their wedding celebration into a $10,000 fundraiser for Light The Night. They are marrying on Friday and inviting their 60 guests to “walk with them after they walk down the aisle” as “Team I Do” on Saturday at The Light The Night Walk.

In addition, Dianne and Chuck are spending some time leading up to the wedding attending and hosting fundraising events – like a “Survivor Strut” Fashion Show. And to top that all off, Dianne has also buddied-up with a Team In Training participant who is now training for a marathon in her honor.

Well, needless to say, this story just touched my heart. Here they are, facing cancer (and kicking it's butt!), marrying the loves of their lives, and, if they didn't have enough on their plates, dedicating their special day to help LLS! This type of generosity and selflessness does not come around often. And I am honored to be a part of an organization with such beautiful supporters.

Do you know a unique fundraising or mission-related story? I’d love to share it. Leave a comment or email me.

New Facebook Badges and Pins to Show your Support!

lazzaric — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:27:53 GMT

Are you walking in The Light The Night Walk or supporting someone who is walking? Well, now you can add Facebook badges to show your friends! We’ve created some icons that will let people know what’s important to you. And, they’re a cinch to add to your profile.

How to add a badge to your profile:

First, sign into Facebook.
Then, add the Pins! And Badges Application to your profile.
Next, click the “browse” tab to search for the LLS badges. (HINT: Type “*LLS:*” into the search box to find them quickly.)
Add the badges you like to your profile! That’s it!

And, there’s more than you can do. If you’re already registered for Light The Night, you can link directly to your online fundraising page from your badge! It’s a quick and easy way to encourage your Facebook network to support you.

How to upload a badge:

First, right click and save any of the badges up top.
Next, make sure you’re signed into Facebook and add the Pins! And Badges Application to your profile.
Click on the “upload” tab and upload the badge you just saved.
Name it (ex: Christine’s Light The Night Badge) and enter in the URL of your fundraising page.
Click “Preview my pin” and choose the version that looks the best. And click one the checkbox under “approve.”
Add it to your profile and you’re done!

You can add as many as you’d like and invite your friends to add some too! We’d love to see what you’ve done with these badges, so leave me a comment, join the LLS Facebook Group, or add me as a friend!

UPDATE 7/15/2008: We now have instructions for adding the badges to your Myspace profile. Visit our Myspace page and look in the "Heroes" section for the badges and HTML codes to add them to your page! You can even use that code on your own blog. Good luck and thanks for the support!

Free gas? Sign me up!

lazzaric — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:36:02 GMT

I paid $4.59 for a gallon of gas today. I am starting to wonder if 16-miles is too far to walk to work every day...

As you wind down from another gas-guzzling week of commuting and prepare for next week’s travel-heavy 4th of July holiday weekend - you’ll be happy to know that here at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we’re looking out for you. We’ve launched a new promotion where you can get free gas when you use your Light the Night Walk Web page to raise funds.

Here’s what you do: Register for your walk, if you haven’t already done so. Then, in July and August raise $250 or more online, and you'll receive a free gas card for $15. For every $500 you raise online, you’ll be sent a $50 card.

In addition, our top fundraiser will also win a vacation for four, at one of Marriott Vacation Club's Orlando resorts, including air transportation. See the full details here.

So, before you try to strap your suitcases and kids to your trusty banana-seat bicycle in hopes of saving money, send out some emails to friends and family asking to support your Light the Night Walk – and gas tank!

There’s a wealth of fundraising tactics, available here, which can help you easily reach your goal.

The Sound of Support

lazzaric — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:04:31 GMT

We are excited to announce an incredible new partnership. We all remember Stephanie Edwards for her stand-out performances on Season 6 of American Idol. Since the show ended, she’s been quite busy. And this year, the talented young recording artist has teamed up with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for Light the Night. Her beautiful and inspirational song, On Our Way (written by Julie Wilde), is the soundtrack of the 2008 Light the Night Walk nationwide.

Listen to a clip here.

If you like it, send the clip to a friend and purchase the whole album. It’s a deal at $5. And, Stephanie is graciously donating $2 from every purchase to support Light the Night.

So, not only are we fortunate enough to have this motivational song and up-and-coming starlet set the stage for our event, but proceeds from the sale of the album will help support programs, research and patient services in our efforts to fight blood cancers.

What a great way to kick off the Light the Night season! Get those walking shoes out, Light the Night is just around the corner.

Welcome to the first post of The Light The Night Walk Blog

whitleyt — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:19:41 GMT

We are pleased to bring you our newest blog, just launched today. This is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s second blog, joining The LLS Blog. The Light The Night Walk Blog will aim to bring you news and stories on our Light The Night Walk program in an informal and spontaneous style. Feel free to let us know how we’re doing by posting a comment on any of our posts or to give us ideas on posts you’d like to see.

What is Light The Night Walk?

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, Light The Night Walk is an annual walk event that raises funds for blood cancer cures. The Walk is casual and doesn’t require you to be in shape, so anyone is welcome to join. There are also incentives for different fundraising levels. Learn more about how you can participate in a walk near you.

Who is the National Spokesperson?

Rob Brown, an actor who plays football legend Ernie Davis in the new film The Express, is Light The Night Walk 's 2008 spokesperson.\ Davis, who was the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, died of leukemia at the age of 23. Brown says that playing Davis helped him "understand that all blood cancer patients deserve to live better, longer lives."

Watch Brown in our 2008 Public Service Announcement on YouTube\ or Google Video\.

Learn more about Light The Night Walk by visiting www.lightthenight.org\

Have you participated in a Light The Night Walk? Find friends and share your story in The Light The Night Walk Community.\

Do you plan on joining a Walk this year?