Please Support my 2009 Light The Night Walk Campaign.

Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fundraising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) funds lifesaving research that has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood cancers and treatments for other types of cancer, such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. These treatments have helped patients live better, longer lives. New targeted therapies that kill cancer cells without harming normal tissue are providing drugs and procedures that are improving quality of life.

This is my sixth year participating in Light the Night as part of Friends of Heroes, the largest national Friends & Family team in the event's history. Friends of Heroes was formed in 2004 as Friends of Allie to honor Allie Scott, who passed away at the age of 9 months in September of that year. Allie's mom, Jenny, touched the hearts of tens of thousands of people across the country with her blog about Allie's journey, spurring a movement that has raised over $1 million toward research and a cure for pediatric blood cancers.

This is important because leukemia remains the leading cause of disease-related death among children under age 15. Every five minutes, someone in this country is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every nine minutes, someone dies. Every year my list of people I walk in honor of grows. It's a sad truth that most of us know someone whose life has been impacted by blood cancer. So, again, this year, I walk.

As I post this, it's 12 weeks until my walk on October 3rd. Please, if you're inclined, think about what you might be able to contribute. $10 a week ($120)? A quarter a day ($21)? A dollar a week ($12)? My goal is to raise at least $1000 again this year, but don't let numbers intimidate you. All donations regardless of amount are very much appreciated. As Edmund Burke once said, "No one made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."

Thank you so very much, my friends!

Alison Bazeley

Friends of Heroes,

Chester County, PA