“Light The Night Walk” participants gather at Delaware Park in September 2017 in support of this nationwide event, which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Even with extensive research nationwide and signs of progress being made, cancer still rears its ugly head. Yet, generous donations can go a long way in helping the fight against the disease, and people in Western New York have an opportunity to make a difference.

On Friday, Oct. 19, the 20th annual “Light The Night Walk” will be held at Delaware Park in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The evening walk, which will take place at 7:30 p.m., is a fundraising event in which participants organize teams and donate as much money as possible to LLS, with all proceeds going toward research to find cures for blood cancer. The event is held in cities throughout the country, including Rochester and Syracuse.

“We are very excited, and there has been so much support from everyone involved as we continue to grow each year,” said Kathleen Davis, senior fundraising campaign manager for LLS. “We get most of our donations in the last few weeks leading up to the event, so we are hoping to raise over $500,000 this year.”

All of the donations made in Buffalo will stay in Western New York. According to Davis, roughly $440,000 was raised in support of LLS from the 2017 Buffalo “Light The Night” event.

There is no cost to register, and people can register as an individual or on a team by visiting www.lightthenight.org/wcny. Participants can set a fundraising goal, and the website allows easy access for friends, family members and other contacts to donate online. Davis said there are usually around 170 teams that register. Participants in the walk will be carrying illuminated lanterns to light up the park. The lanterns are in three different colors, with white honoring survivors and patients, red representing supporters, and gold signifying remembrance of those who have lost their lives.

“Light The Night” participants will be carrying illuminated lanterns to light up the park. The lanterns are in three different colors, representing survivors and patients, supporters and those who have lost their lives. All participants who raise $100 or more become a “Champion for Cures,” which means they will receive an event T-shirt, an illuminated lantern and a wristband for food, and also can attend the post-event reception.

“We have an opening ceremony that starts at 7 p.m. right before the walk, and my favorite part of the entire night is what we call the ‘Circle Of Survivors,’” Davis said. “It’s a reserved spot for cancer survivors, and it is a really good way to honor them and give hope for those who are in remission or battling cancer.”

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has invested more than $1.2 billion in research and has discovered breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine. These new treatments originally discovered through blood cancer research are now being tested in clinical trials for other cancers.

LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. “‘Light The Night’ walks take place all across the country, and this has been a great tradition over the last two decades,” Davis said. “We are proud to carry on that tradition for those who are still fighting and those who are no longer with us.”

Registration for “Light The

Night Walk” will take place from 5 to 7:15 p.m. at the

Zoofari Courtyard at Delaware Park. For more information on the event or to register and donate online, visit www.lightthenight.org/wcny. Participants can also register by calling the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s local chapter at 834-2578.

email: nickk@beenews.com