EVENT: "Light the Night" & Bring Light to the Darkness of Cancer (10.21.21)
By: Julie Poucher Harbin, Senior Writer, DCI
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2021 Triangle Light the Night walk will again be a virtual experience — this time on a Thursday night. (October 21, 2021, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
For the sixth year, Duke Cancer Institute, a local sponsor for this year's event, is fielding a DCI Team for Light the Night.
The team goal this year is to raise $5,000.
"I know these past 18 months have been extremely tough on everyone," said Team DCI captain Gabriel Alcantara, MBA, Division Administrator, Hematologic Malignancies & Cellular Therapy. "I’d ask you to consider that blood cancer does not stop for COVID-19. Giving, in any way you can, is fulfilling, and any contribution — big or small — will give you and others some hope, some inspiration, something to feel good about, something for you to give back to your community, something you can control at a time when there is so much frustratingly beyond our control."
According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the American Cancer Society, approximately every three minutes one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer.
And approximately every 9 minutes, someone in the US dies from a blood cancer. (not including myelodysplastic syndromes or myeloproliferative neoplasms) This statistic represents approximately 158 people each day or more than six people every hour.
Per LLS, by the end of this year, new cases of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma are expected to account for nearly 10% of the new cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. this year and 9.5% of cancer deaths.
- An estimated combined total of 186,400 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2021 and 57,750 people are projected to die from these diseases.
- An estimated 1,519,907 people in the United States (US) are living with or in remission from leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).
- An estimated 54,025 children and adolescents younger than 20 years in the US are living with or in remission from leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes or myeloproliferative neoplasms.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society funds blood cancer research around the world, including at Duke, provides free information and support services, and helps blood cancer patients get access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.
Duke Cancer Institute faculty, including Danielle Brander, MD, Thomas LeBlanc, MD, and Matthew McKinney, MD, regularly participate in LLS-hosted patient education webinars as guest speakers.
Virtual Light the Night Details
Date: 10.21.2021
Time: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
What to Expect
On event night, we will all join together as a community on *Zoom to celebrate together and then we will move over to our virtual event site to engage with the Light The Night activities we all know and love! During our Zoom program we will connect with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society mission, celebrate our top fundraisers and watch our moving and inspiring ceremony together.
*LLS will be emailing all registered participants with detailed information on how to join the virtual event in the two weeks leading up to the event night.
Circle of Survivors
Join the Circle of Survivors by adding your lantern and sharing your story of survivorship or celebrate all of the patients & survivors by reading their stories.
Remembrance Pavilion
Honor and remember a loved one who has been lost to cancer in the Remembrance Pavilion where you can add their photo & a special message.
Supporter Celebration
Bring light to the darkness of cancer by raising your virtual lantern. Use our augmented reality filter and choose the lantern color that best represents how you Light The Night.
AND SO MUCH MORE!
A Message from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Join us in bringing light to the darkness of cancer!
By giving a donation today, you can help children like Cayden (left). At just 3 years old, Cayden was diagnosed with a high-risk form of blood cancer, Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. While Cayden’s uphill battle with cancer is not over, his family found a strong support system at LLS, after a friend encouraged them to sign up for Light The Night last year.
Cayden is currently in the interim maintenance phase of his treatment and even when he is dealing with the harsh side effects of his treatment, he continues to smile and remains his playful loving self.
Funds raised through Light The Night allow LLS to fund treatments for patients who are suffering from all forms of blood cancers. In 2020, LLS helped advance 14 of the 17 approved blood cancer treatment options approved by the FDA. Beating cancer is in our blood.
