Light the Night
For the past two years, our family raised funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night campaign, in memory of my mother. If you'd like to learn how you can help our Light the Night teams, you can ↓ jump to the How You Can Help section below ↓.
Why I support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is an organization that I'm proud to be involved with, because they are working on many levels to improve outcomes and treatment for patients with blood cancers. These include:
Research
LLS-funded researchers are finding new treatments for leukemia and lymphoma, and many of the drugs produced by LLS-funded researchers are also being used to treat other cancers. According to the LLS website,
To date, we have invested more than $1 billion in research to advance therapies and save lives. LLS research grants have funded many of today's most promising advances, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies and some of the therapies first approved for blood cancer patients are now helping patients with other types of cancers and other serious diseases. Thanks to research and access to better treatments, survival rates for many blood cancer patients have doubled, tripled and even quadrupled since 1960.
In addition to more effective treatments, researchers are also searching for cures for blood cancers.
Patient Services
Patients who are diagnosed with blood cancers find many obstacles in their way, and LLS is working to eliminate those obstacles when possible. In addition to medical support, LLS offers financial support to patients and families who could not otherwise afford the expensive co-pays that go with hospitalization, chemotherapy and other treatments. They offer travel support for patients whose treatment centers may be far away from home. And they also provide emotional support to patients and families through support groups and programs that match newly-diagnosed patients with those who have achieved remission. Some of these resources can be found on the LLS website, but they are developing new ones on a local level all the time.
Public Policy
LLS is also involved in educating lawmakers and the public about blood cancers and telling the stories of blood cancer patients. They advocate for patients and researchers and urge responsible policies that will address the serious burdens of these diseases. For more information about LLS's advocacy efforts, see the Be an Advocate section of their website.
What is Light the Night?
Light the Night is a national Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fundraising campaign that culminates in a short evening walk in the fall. Teams raise funds and then walk together one night in the fall to celebrate survivors and to remember people who were lost to blood cancers. It's not a race - it's an event and a celebration.
What is Team Marilyn?
We are friends and family of Marilyn Munsell McNitt who want to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in her memory. During her treatment, my mother was interested in ways she would be able to "give back" to LLS and other organizations that help leukemia patients. We are now carrying on that legacy on her behalf.
Why 113?
If you're very observant, you may have noticed that the number 113 occurs a lot in our efforts to carry on Marilyn's legacy. Marilyn received 113 transfusions of blood and platelets over the course of her treatment, so this is a number that we have applied to all of our blood drive goals (usually actually 38 donors, since each donation can be used for up to 3 transfusions). We're continuing the 113 theme in our fundraising efforts for Light the Night, including some individual fundraising goals and team goals.
How You Can Help
Here's the breakdown of existing Teams Marilyn:
Team Marilyn Ann Arbor |
Team Marilyn Dallas/Fort Worth |
You can get involved by:
Joining an existing Team Marilyn or starting your own local team (email me if you'd like to do either of these things and we can get you set up)
Donating money to the national team, one of the local teams or donating to a specific team member to help them reach their fundraising goal
Attending and promoting upcoming LLS fundraising events - help us spread the word!
Upcoming Events
Below each event is a way that you can get involved and help us out! This list will be updated as new events are planned.
No events planned at this time.