The Summit to host Light The Night Walk

Approximately every four minutes a person in the United States is diagnosed with blood cancer, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 

This month, area residents will have the chance to help the society move one step closer to finding a cure for the disease while honoring friends and family who have battled cancer.

On Oct. 10 from 5:30-8 p.m., The Summit will host the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk, which raises funds for cancer research, patient treatment and national cancer educational programs. The evening walks are held in more than  200 communities across the country each year.

Elizabeth Ragland, director of the Alabama/Gulf Coast chapter of Light The Night, said last year the chapter raised $750,000 for the society through events in Birmingham, Muscle Shoals, Dothan, Huntsville and Mobile.

 “That number is a really big deal,” Ragland said.

Birmingham’s walk will begin with a remembrance ceremony where participants are invited to light a candle and have a quiet moment to honor a loved one. Ragland said it is hard to put into words how inspirational this part of the evening is for participants.

 “We actually have a pastor come in and do a moment of prayer,” Ragland said. “It’s a very private and moving event.”

The society’s patient access and education manager will have an informational tent set up prior to the two-mile walk.

Participants can walk as individuals or create teams and are encouraged to raise money in the weeks up to the walk. Those raising more than $100 are named “Champions for Cures” and will be given the opportunity to carry an illuminated balloon during the walk: white for survivors, red for supporters and gold for the memory of a lost loved one. 

Those participants will also get a T-shirt, wristband and access to refreshments following the race. All participants are encouraged to carry dedication banners as they walk the course.

Walkers raising $1,000 or more will become members of the Bright Lights Club. The fundraising goal for Birmingham’s Light The Night Walk is $385,000. Local companies and businesses are also invited to become sponsors. The 2013 Corporate Walk chair is John O’Neil, president and CEO of St. Vincent’s Health System, which has raised $40,000 for the society. 

For the society, the tradition of carrying lighted balloons during the Light The Night Walks symbolize hope and inspiration in the dark battle against cancer.

For more information on Birmingham’s Light The Night Walk, contact Alabama Chapter Director Elizabeth Ragland at Elizabeth.Ragland@lls.org. To register for the walk, visit lightthenight.org.