2009 marks the 3rd and most important year that my family has been involved in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Light The Night†walk. Without your help, we would not have been able to raise over $200,000, we would not have had a research grant named in honor of my father, I would not have been the # 1 individual fundraiser in all of Queens, and we would not have been proudly named a National Supporting Sponsor.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s mission is to cure blood cancers and improve the quality of life for patients and their families is one very near and dear to my heart. As all of you know my father and family’s patriarch, Charles Fina, passed away from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia in May 2009. While each of you hold unique and precious memories in your heart, I most fondly remember my father as a leader of supreme integrity, as a family focused man with unwavering commitment, and as a incredible source of strength with a passion for greatness. His memory will live forever in the walls he created with his parents and in our hearts. In his honor, we are committing this year more than ever to raising funds and bringing awareness to blood cancers, which take a life every 10 minutes.

To celebrate the life of my father and give hope to the many others who have been affected by cancer, I invite you to join us on the evening of Thursday, October 15th for a short but unforgettable walk starting at the South Street Seaport and over the Brooklyn Bridge. If you are not available we will also be walking on Saturday, October 17th at Forest Park in Queens.

To become part of our team, visit: http://pages.lightthenight.org/nyc/Manhattn09/MichaelCFina. Once you are registered, you will receive a link to your own personal online fundraising page. I encourage you to invite your friends, colleagues and family members to walk with us.

Please remember, cancer waits for nothing. The disease doesn’t know holidays, birthdays or hard economic times. 894,543 people in the U.S. are currently battling a blood cancer. Every four minutes someone new is diagnosed. Every ten minutes someone dies. Your support will save lives.

If you’d like to learn more about Light The Night, please visit: http://www.lightthenight.org/nyc and watch the preview video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DOQIYbSySs or e-mail me!

I hope you will join me, my family, the Michael C. Fina team, thousands of New Yorkers and Tina Fey (this year’s national spokesperson), for “Light The Night.†Together, we really can shed light on blood cancers and make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. Thanks in advance for your support.