Last Saturday at Reston Town Center, I helped out at a Light the Night event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If you’ve never heard of this, Light the Night events are fundraising events for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. People and groups pledge money to support research for these types of cancer, then on the specified night, they show up to what accounts for a celebration and time of remembrance. At the event there’s food, games, and a live band! Everyone shows up and hangs out for the first half of the evening. Then once it’s dark, everyone is given a balloon with a light inside. Red balloons signify people who have given money and are helping the cause, white balloons signify survivors, and gold balloons signify a remembrance to those who have died to these terrible diseases. Then, in the case of this event at Reston Town Center, everyone walks a 1-2 mile loop through the Reston area, eventually coming back to where they started. It’s a touching and spectacular scene.
Last year was the first time I have ever participated in one of these events. My dad died from leukemia, and after his death my mother decided to create a team and raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It wasn’t the easiest thing emotionally to do, but we did it all the same through the pouring rain that evening. This year my mother decided to simply volunteer at the event, and I in turn volunteered my camera. I helped to document the event by taking candid shots throughout the day. I have one picture below from the evening that really shows the beauty of the event.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a great organization that has been raising millions of dollars to find a cure to these diseases. Please head on over to their website, look at what they do, and consider taking part in a Light the Night walk next year.
