Welcome to Megan Ruggiero's Light The Night Walk Homepage!

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. New targeted therapies that kill cancer cells without harming normal tissue are providing drugs and procedures that are improving quality of life.

In fact, in 2009 alone, LLS researchers were conducting more than 90 clinical trials, a critical step in the development of new treatments and cures that will help patients live better, longer lives.

• A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.
• A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.
• A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.
• A donation of $1,000 makes possible one- on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.

Please make a donation to support my participation in the Light The Night Walk and help save lives. This is my second year participating in the Light the Night Walk as captain of Team Jack's Mannequin (Nashua). In February of this year, my beloved uncle passed away from lung cancer. Last year, I walked in honor of him. This year, I walk in memory of him and all that he stood for: strength, determination, devotion, honor, and love. The funds raised through LLS have contributed to advancements in the treatment of many types of cancers, not just leukemia and lymphoma. This one's for you Uncle Mike! Love and miss you every day!

I am also walking as a member of Team Jack's Mannequin again this year to honor Andrew McMahon, the lead singer of my favorite band, a brave cancer survivor, and a champion of the cure. This year marks Andrew's fifth year in remission. In 2006, Andrew founded a non-profit charity, The Dear Jack Foundation, to raise funds for cancer research. One of the charity's primary beneficiaries is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Thank you for your consideration and please enjoy this music video of Jack's Mannequin's hit song, "The Resolution," off of the album The Glass Passenger: The Resolution.