Posted by Bruce Gross on Dec 05, 2013

Image

On Saturday, October 19th, 2013 my family and the Warminster Rotary Team participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's(LLS)  Light The Night® Walk at Bucks County Community College.

 
The LLS LIght The Night Walk funds treatments that are saving the lives of patients today. LLS is making cures happen by providing patient support services, advocacy for lifesaving treatments and the most promising cancer research anywhere. And it's all happening now. Not someday, today.

Our fundraising teams led by Captain Chris Roehl raised $606.
 
Having lost my grandmother who cared for me daily until I went to school at age 18 was very traumatic for me.  She had a rare form of blood cancer that was treated with Chemotherapy shortly after her diagnosis in the beginning of the summer of 1985.  She suffered a lot before entering remission about 4 months later; however she died before Christmas less than 6 months after being diagnosed.  After her diagnosis she isolated from the rest of the family and quite frankly the rest of us didn’t know what to do with our own feelings or what to expect.  We had no idea of how to support her or ourselves.  One of the things I learned was that LLS has support groups for the patients as well as the families, we certainly could have used something like that during my grandmother’s final days and then thereafter.  After her death I had a negative outlook towards blood cancers, thinking that any blood cancer diagnosis was a death sentence.

During the Walk, walkers carry illuminated balloons in three colors: white balloons are carried by survivors; red balloons by supporters; gold ones are carried by walkers who are walking in memory of loved ones lost to cancer.  What I found amazing at the Light the Night Walk was how many survivors were carrying their white balloons.  This is encouraging and hopeful to me since I’ve always feared that I or someone in my family would contract a blood cancer.  It was encouraging to see so many people to come out and support the cause too.  While walking with my family I carried a Gold balloon in honor of my grandmother, Catherine Pisano.  It was particularly rewarding to walk with my family whom never met my grandmother.  It was also a chance to bond with fellow Rotarians and meet/make some new friends.

As the committed Rotarians that we are we found the night to be inspirational not only for the event we were support, but also brainstorming for future Rotary events.   Our team consisted of Chris Roehl, Kim Evans, Bruce & Colleen Gross, Leo & Claudia Quinn, Mark & Janice Vallone, John & Marci Vira.

Last year I wanted to participate and didn’t know what it looked like or how to go about it.  So I am really grateful for Chris taking up point to be Captain for our team and making it an easy event to participate
.
Sponsors