The third annual Light the Night Walk will cover Northampton with glowing balloons and huge crowds of people, all to help fight cancer, on Sunday, Sept. 23 at Look Memorial Park.
This walk, to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, will help fund research towards possible cures for blood-related cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.
“This (walk) is a pretty powerful statement,” said Laura Hoag, the campaign manager for the organization. “Working for this cause has made it easier waking up and going to work.”
Different contributions from individuals and corporations will help the organization raise money for curing cancer. The walk raised $60,000 last year, and this year’s goal is to raise $15,000 more.
Registration is free, but a donation of $25 will be granted with an illuminated balloon from the Society. Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the park in Dow Pavilion, and the walk will be at 6:30.
The Society is the world’s largest group dealing with funding research and helping to improve the quality of life for its patients. It is a private organization that is exclusively dedicated to cancer research.
“We’re known as the best kept secret,” said Sherman.
Sherman said its most current project is supporting the research for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). Recently, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug called Gleevec, formerly known as Glivec or STI571, as a treatment for CML. Dr. Brian Druker led the way for this breakthrough with Novartis, which manufactures and distributes Gleevec and helped open the drug for the markets.
“It helps attack only the unhealthy cells and not all cells,” said Sherman. “This is a new paradigm with anti-cancer drugs.”
According to the organization’s website (http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org), blood-related cancers such as leukemia and myeloma begin in the bone marrow, and others such as lymphoma originate in lympathic tissues. These cancers are related because these cells all have similar functions and origins while growing uncontrollably.
These diseases, the organization stated, is often the result of an acquired genetic injury to the DNA of a single cell, which turns malignant and then multiplies continuously. If the concentration is too large, it affects the body’s ability to fight against infections.
New cases of cancer are discovered every five minutes, according to the Society. There is an estimated 109,500 people in the United States who will be diagnosed with a form this year. Leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma will cause an estimated 60,300 deaths in the United States by the end of this year.
The Society invites all to participate in the lives of cancer survivors and raise more funds along with awareness.
Benefits and improvements go specifically towards education about cancer through booklets and literature, said Sherman. Support groups such as First Connection help patients speak with cancer survivors. Patient aids, which help people financially, are also imperative components of improving the quality of life for patients and their families.
The Society is proud to be one of the top-rated voluntary health agencies that help fight against cancer. It claims that survival rates for leukemia have tripled in the last 39 years due to its research. The organization’s continuous research includes its recent $7.5 million for Dr. Druker and his team to conduct further research.
