Florida State University is hosting its annual Light the Night Walk Thursday to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
“It brings together families and communities to honor blood cancer survivors as well as those who have lost their battles to these diseases, and really, just to shed light on the importance of finding cures, and providing access to treatments for blood cancer patients,” said Jill Nugent, the campaign manager for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
She says the Light the Night Walk’s unique features are part of the group’s mission to raise awareness and find cures for other diseases, like myeloma and Hodgkin’s disease.
“We have walkers carry illuminated lanterns, and these lanterns have different colors that mean different things: white if you’re a cancer survivor or patient, gold if you’re walking in memory of a loved one, and a red lantern if you’re a caregiver or a supporter. So, we do have hundreds and sometimes thousands depending on the walk,” added Nugent.
Thursday's event will also include carnival booths and live entertainment. It starts 5:30 p.m. on Langford Green. The walk begins at 7:15 p.m.
The Light the Night Walk is a nationwide effort. Nugent’s chapter covers the North and Central Florida areas, which already held events in Jacksonville, Orlando, and Gainesville. Nugent says their overall goal is to raise more than $1 million for the region.
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