Friends of Palmer Griffin, GPS student who was recently diagnosed with leukemia, are urging a big turnout for the Light The Night event at Coolidge Park.
GPS student Brielle Leary said, "One of my good friends recently got diagnosed with leukemia, and I wanted to show support for fighting this disease. It’s a walk supporting blood cancers, leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma."
The event is Thursday, Sept. 21. Registration is 5:30 p.m. and the walk is at 7 p.m.
Brielle said, "Palmer Griffin, a junior at GPS, has been diagnosed with leukemia and is a patient at St. Jude’s in Memphis. Many of us who are Palmer’s friends want to build a team for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk. This is an opportunity for us to do something special for Palmer and be a strong voice within the community recognizing all individuals with this disease. It is a chance for you to help fight cancer by:
"-Joining the Light the Night Team
"-Making a personal contribution
"-Raising funds for the society to use for critical cancer research and services for patients and their families."
Light The Night is an evening walk to celebrate and commemorate the lives of people touched by cancer. Walkers hold illuminated balloons — white for survivors, red for supporters — and light the night with hope. The Walk culminates in a community celebration with music, refreshments, and entertainment — where friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers, and others come together to demonstrate their support for cancer patients.
Team members raise funds by encouraging others to contribute. Funds will be used for research to find cures for blood cancers —leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma — and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
Brielle said, "As team captain, I encourage you to become involved in this worthwhile endeavor, and to give yourself the experience of helping others."
She added, "We encourage every walker to beat the national average amount ($100) by setting her individual goal to at least $150. I’ll give you information on how to go about it. Our team goal is $10,000.
"The need for cures is critical: Every five minutes, someone in this country is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every 10 minutes, someone dies. Leukemia is the leading cause of cancer death among children and young adults under the age 20.
"All participants raising $100 or more will receive an illuminated balloon and a T-shirt to wear during the Walk. Walkers raising $300, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or more can receive other exciting gifts."
Contact briell@gps.edu to join Team GPS.