Local businesses in Silicon Valley have decided to join forces to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The funding raised by this collaboration will be used to sponsor the seventh annual Peninsula-Palo Alto Light The Night Walk. The event takes place across the country and is used to help LLS, the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer, invest in breakthrough research to treat lymphoma and leukemia, as well as to help patients gain access to needed medication.
Silicon Valley Bank, Jazz Pharmaceuticals and ABC7 are among the local Silicon Valley area businesses that signed on as Celebration Sponsors, while Riemer & Braunstein will serve as Reflections Sponsor and VITAS Healthcare and Wells Fargo as Star Supporters. The organization has already expressed its appreciation about the support, which they believe can be determinant to enhance blood cancer research and patient care.
“We are beyond grateful to all of our sponsors for their generous contributions to LLS,” said the Light The Night Campaign Manager, Courtney Atchley, in a press release. “Their support helps LLS fund critical research efforts and provide assistance to the families in our community dealing with a blood cancer diagnosis. Our sponsors are truly enabling LLS to save lives not someday, but today.”
The annual fundraising event Light The Night Walk is a non-competitive way of paying tribute and bringing hope to everyone fighting blood cancer. Patients, families, loved ones, colleagues and other people close to the disease form fundraising teams while millions of people throughout the country help by consuming or donating at one of the retail outlet partners. “These efforts culminate in inspirational and memorable evening walks in nearly 200 communities across North America each fall,” stated the organization.
The walk gets its name from the lanterns carried by the participants during the walk: a white lantern represents a survivor, red lantern a supporter of the cause and gold is used in memory of someone that died due to blood cancer. Anyone can participate in the walk, which aims not only to fundraise for research and patients’ programs, but also to raise awareness about the importance of finding cures and ensuring access to treatments for blood cancer patients.
This is the seventh year that the walk is being organized, with more than $1 billion already raised throughout the years and invested in cutting-edge research to advance blood cancer treatment. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society believes these research efforts have greatly contributed to increase survival rates, despite the fact that one third of patients still die following the diagnosis. LLS’s main mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
This year, the Light The Night Walk will be held on Saturday, October 17 on various dates in a long list of US cities. In addition, anyone can form a Light The Night team. To learn more, contact The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay Area Chapter at 408-490-2666 or visit www.lightthenight.org/gba.
