The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is excited to announce that actress Tina Fey is lending her face and fame to help in the fight against blood cancers as the 2009 National Spokesperson for the LLS Light The Night Walk.

Tina Fey is an American writer, comedian, actress, and producer. She has won five Emmys, three Golden Globes, and three SAG Awards. Fey is best known for her work on Mean Girls, Saturday Night Live, her impersonation of Alaskan Governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and her work on 30 Rock, a situation comedy loosely based on her experiences at Saturday Night Live. Fey was also selected by Barbara Walters as one of America’s “10 most fascinating people of 2008.”

As National Spokesperson for the 2009 Light The Night Walk, Fey urges communities to “Walk the Talk” and join the fight against blood cancer through Light The Night Walks happening this fall across the country. “When you or someone you love has cancer, it can turn your world upside down and leave you in a dark and lonely place,” says Fey. “But there’s something you can do to bring light and hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and their families. You can participate in Light The Night Walk and raise funds for lifesaving cancer research.”

Walks take place in communities across the U.S. and Canada, as walkers and teams of families, friends and co-workers come together for an evening overflowing with emotion and caring. The Light The Night Walk is open to the public. Teams and individuals are encouraged to pre-register and raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society throughout the summer months preceding the Walk. The funds will support vital life-saving research and patient services to support the nearly 900,000 Americans living with blood cancers.

More than a Walk, Light The Night includes music, entertainment, food and children’s activities for everyone to enjoy. Walkers carry illuminated balloons to spread awareness about the need to fund research to find a cure for blood cancer. Supporters carry red balloons, survivors carry white, and those who have lost a loved one to cancer carry a gold balloon in their memory. The event is supported by many local businesses who form Walk teams or offer corporate sponsorship. Corporate sponsorship and in-kind food donation packages that include a variety of marketing benefits are available. You can join Friends of Heroes and start making a difference today! For more information about the Light The Night Walk and how to participate, visit www.LightTheNight.org.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Eastern N.C. Chapter serves patients battling leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. The organization raises money to fund research leading to a cure for blood cancers and to enhance the quality of life for local patients through services such as family support groups, educational programs and financial assistance. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. For more information about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, visit www.lls.org.

We are very excited to announce the 2009 Friends of Heroes team co-captains: Carole Franklyn and Beck Marko!

“Both Carole and Beck have been extremely helpful and supportive over the years. I am confident the team will advance under their leadership!” said Jennifer Burgess, National Co-captain 2007 & 2008

Please join us in welcoming Carole and Beck! They are both so honored to help lead such an amazing team.

Meet Carole Franklyn

“I am a married mom of two: Makenna is 8 and Aidan is 4. I live in Virginia , about 20 miles outside of Washington , DC . I work fulltime as an HR Specialist and Executive Assistant for a healthcare management company. Besides FOH, I love to read, be with my kids and volunteer at their schools. I am also active with CancerWarriors and been a proud sponsor of three kids: Amazing Jacob (an angel in Heaven), McKayla (OT 2+ yrs) and Princess Chloe (OT 6 months) who I got to meet in person! Last year, I was on my local LTN committee, but decided that this year I would devote my time to FOH.

“My son was born in June 2004 and while I was home on maternity leave, I discovered BabyCenter and through that, Allie’s story. I have been a member of Friends of Heroes since before it was Allie’s Angels. That little girl, and the many other children since her, have touched me in a way I never could have predicted – maybe because I had young children or maybe because I was looking for something “more” in my life. Whatever the reason, FOH has found a place in my heart.

“Over the past three years, I have become more and more involved in FOH. I started out on the Task Force and have moved up to my current position. I am looking forward to many great things from FOH this year! Most importantly, I’d like to spread the word about us as well as increase the involvement from all of you. It takes all of us to make FOH a success!”

Now meet Beck Marko

“I am Beck, a stay at home mom of three kiddos ages five, four and three years old, and I have been happily married for 7 1/2 years to my husband Vince.  Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has been a huge part of my life since I first read about baby Allie on her family’s web page.  I chose from that day forward that I would make it my job to do as much as I can to help find the cure for cancer.

“Since then I have served on several committees including 2004-2008 Northern Nevada Man Women and Celebrity of the year events, I chaired the 2007 Northern Nevada Light the Night walk, I have also served three years on the Friends of Heroes planning team.  In 2007  I was a task force teammate, 2008 I was in charge of social networks and then I was honored with the chance to work along side Carole as a co-captain to such a wonderful team in 2009.

“I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and can’t wait to make 2009 a WONDERFUL year!!!!! Outside of Friends of Heroes, I love to make homemade soaps, crafts, teaching Sunday school at our church and just being a mama.”

More About National Co-captains

After the unprecedented fundraising success and teamwork of Friends of Heroes (then Allie’s Angels ’04 and Friends of Allie ’05), a succession plan was created to ensure the future of Friends of Heroes. This plan provided for two national co-captains and a team leader committee.

Friends of Heroes National Co-Captains are passionate about the LLS mission and devote much of their spare time to help the team. As a co-captain, they serve a two-year term and draw from their previous experience as national team leaders. Typically, the co-captain terms are staggered to provide continuity and to enable them to share and pass on their experience. Since a new co-captain was not installed in 2008, two new co-captains will lead Friends of Heroes in 2009.

All too often we hear too much negative in our lives. We hear about crime, financial troubles, and so on. You can go to your e-mail and read about the new virus going around… those silly e-mails telling you that if you don’t forward it, your computer is going to blow up. It all seems so negative.

However, I still feel great inside knowing that we are taking a part as a large team and spreading some good news for a change. We are less than $4,000 away from $1,000,000 earned! That is a HUGE milestone! Something that we have been working hard on for the last 4 years!

It is truly amazing how a group of strangers can come together as a family and complete such a task. That is what Friends of Heroes is all about. We are a family…though many of us have never met. We are still linked together with a passion for a cure….the cure for cancer. We have grieved together, smiled together, and I know that there have been a few laughs in there as well.

You HAVE made a difference.

The first year that we started I looked at my fundraising and thought “I only made $50”….the dreaded word “only”. It should have been a positive “I made $50 and a HUGE difference”. Looking at it today, that $50 made us closer to a cure and to where our team is now.

As a team, I KNOW that we can make it well over $1,000,000! We just need that final push. We are all here to support each other. My five-year-old daughter gave me a quote to live by several months ago and I just keep repeating it when I feel discouraged “You know, just try your best because that is what we are made to do”. I know that we can do that. I know we can do our best. I can say this with all of my heart.

I hope in the near future, we won’t be here fighting for the cure for cancer, because we already helped find the cure! We will be here CELEBRATING the cure! But until that day, let’s stick together, fight for a cure and have fun in the process!

Written by Beck M.
Pictured above with Kelly, her Light The Night executive director, after receiving the Volunteer of the Year Award.

This weekend (Sept 5-7, 2008) we are sending a shout out to our friends up north! The following Light The Night walks will take place in:

It is not to late to join us! We need you! Register to walk with Friends of Heroes at http://teams.lightthenight.org/friendsofheroes

For a full list of Light The Night Walks, visit here.

Next week (Sept 10-14, 2008) we’ll be cheering for our walkers in 18 more cities:

Remember – you can raise money until November (even after your walk is over)!

This year we commemorate the tenth year of Light The Night walks which honor blood cancer patients in 230 cities across North America.

This week we embark on the first of ten weeks of Light The Nights and celebrate the $39 million dollars raised for blood cancer research and patient services.

Through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, great strides have made “A Decade of Difference”. In the past 10 years:

• Nearly half a million patients and their caretakers have called the LLS Information Resource Center and received critical information about blood cancers, therapy options and issues surrounding treatment and survival.
• Nearly $40 million was disbursed to patients through the LLS Patient Assistance program to help them get the treatment they needed to fight their cancer.
• Over 100,000 patients and family members found comfort and hope through LLS First Connection and Family Support Groups.
• LLS granted $425 million to more than 400 scientists searching for cures and improved treatments for patients.
• LLS funding contributed to the development of a host of new drugs that are affecting patient survival and quality of life.
• LLS-funded researchers began working in novel areas that hold great promise for finding cures and better treatments including new, less toxic stem cell transplants, immunotherapies and other targeted therapies.
• Our Advocacy Network has successfully supported pro-patient legislation that will:
  • Help advance blood cancer research
  • Extend Medicare coverage to include oral anti-cancer drugs
  • Help fund efforts to reach underserved blood cancer patients

From: lightthenight.org

Team Friends of Heroes is proud to be a part of this tremendous cause to find a cure for blood cancers and to make a difference in the lives of patients through the free services offered by LLS!

Blood cancers can strike at any time to people of all ages, ethnicities and degrees of health. We continue to raise funds and awareness for a cure to be found and so that families do not have to lose loved ones to these diseases.

Your support is vital in this effort! Please join us by registering for our team or donating towards our cause!

Visit http://teams.lightthenight.org/friendsofheroes to start making a difference today!

Did you know?

The Facts of Childhood Cancer

• Cancer remains the number one disease that claims the lives of our children. Each year cancer kills more children under the age of 20 than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and AIDS combined.
• Each year in the U.S., approximately 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer. That’s the equivalent of two average size classrooms diagnosed each school day.
• Today, nearly 80 percent of children diagnosed with cancer become long-term survivors and the majority of them are considered cured. In the early 1950s, less than 10 percent of childhood cancer patients could be cured.
• Leukemias, tumors of the brain and nervous system, the lymphatic system, kidneys, bones and muscles are the most common childhood cancers.
• In the U.S., cancer remains responsible for more deaths from one year through adolescence than any other disease; more deaths than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and AIDS combined.
• Combined, the cancers of children, adolescents and young adults to age 20 are the sixth most common cancer in the U.S.
• Breakthroughs in pediatric oncology will undoubtedly continue to progress the diagnosis and treatment of adult cancers. Many of the principles in therapy used today in treating adults were first developed and tested for children.

With the kick of off so many Light the night walks this month, what better way to pay tribute to Childhood Cancer than to join your local team and start raising money. Together we can find a cure!

Also in honor of Childhood cancer awareness month Chili’s will be offering a couple of ways you can contribute. You can go any day and donate any amount and they will give you a chili pepper coloring sheet that you or your kids can design and color. Also, on the 29th, they will be donating all the proceeds from that day to St. Jude’s. So enjoy a night out, eating great food while supporting a great cause.  the Chili’s

Thank you for stopping by day 5 of Blogging for Blood Cancer. Today’s prize is 5 sets of vinyl wall decals (value=$48.00) courtesy of Stakersensations. Yesterday’s winner was commenter # 25 – Nikki! She knew that FOH and its Affiliate teams have raised over $958,241 in four seasons!

To qualify to win, leave a comment with an answer to the question after reading the post.

Five years ago, we all started because of a blue eyed baby girl named Allie. Five years later we are still here and going strong, in fact each year we grow stronger. Friends of Heroes has become a big part of each of our lives, and we are still making a huge difference each year. Five years from now we all share the same hope that there will be no need for us, because we will have a cure.

Friends of Heroes, formerly Friends of Allie and Allie’s Angels, is the largest national Friends and Family Light The Night team in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s history. The team was originally created to honor Allie Scott, an 8 month old baby from Allen, TX who passed away from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in September 2004. You can read more about the inspiration for Friends of Heroes (here).

Since then, Friends of Heroes has grown dramatically in both size and focus. The team not only retains a core group of over 600 registered walkers, but also welcomes several affiliate teams across the country. In the 2007 Light The Night season, Friends of Heroes had a team presence at 60 walksites and raised a $114,000 dollars in the fight against blood cancers.

Friends of Heroes and affiliates actively fundraise for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, with a passion and focus towards eradicating pediatric blood cancers. We strive to incorporate honored children at each walksite – local children who are either currently undergoing treatment or in remission from any blood cancer.

The Friends of Heroes Light The Night team is overseen by national team leaders, volunteers who oversee fundraising and team organization, as well as a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Friends and Family national manager. We always welcome new volunteers, and encourage you to contact any of the team leaders for more information on how to get involved in our mission.

Our Mission Statement

As Friends of Heroes, we are a volunteer organization whose purpose is:

• To raise money toward pediatric blood cancer research and patient services through Light The Night walks.
• To make a positive difference in the lives of families affected by pediatric cancer.
• To invoke awareness in our local communities of the need for cancer research.
• To build an international network of individuals and teams who share our passion and goal to raise money for an awareness of pediatric blood cancer.

Five years later…………………

Reflecting back over my years with Friends of Heroes and doing the Light the Night walks my first thought goes to the children and their families. How their world must have been turned upside down to find out that someone they loved was diagnosed with Leukemia/Lymphoma. My second thought goes to what if that would happen to my son or daughter wouldn’t I hope that people would do the same as I’m doing which is VOLUNTEERING my time to make the difference in someone else’s life.
If you’ve never walked in the Light the Night before let me tell you it’s a wonderful experience and you should really consider doing one. It’s a night that people get together to honor and remember those who have or are battling this awful disease. Seeing the crowds of people and the balloons flickering as the sun goes down and at our walk in St. Louis we see the sidewalk towards of the end of the walk we see candles inside bags lining the walkway of the people we just walked in honor or in memory of. It’s an experience that keeps bringing me back year after year.
Kathie Team Captain relations

“Friends of Heroes is a part of my life. After meeting several cancer heroes, it makes me want to work HARDER to find a cure. I really hope that in 5 years, Friends of Heroes will not be here, BECAUSE there is a cure for blood cancers!”
Beck Social Networks Coordinator

Why am I still walking five years later…Because mother’s are still losing their children to this horrible disease. No child should have to fight for their lives. They should be enjoying being a child. No mother should have to watch as their child suffers from this devastating disease wondering if they will make it to their next birthday. Until every child is cured or even better blood cancer is preventable, I still have a job to do and my job is to help raise funds and awareness for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and their critical mission. I hope you will all join me in this important fight.
Lois National Co-Captain

Five years later, I am still involved with Friends Of Heroes and Light the Night because, I truly believe that we will find a cure in my life time. These children are our future, and I want no other child to loose their life to this horrible disease. I believe that Friends of Heroes can and is making a huge difference in the fight against cancer. We will keep making a difference and I will always be involved in that until we have no more cancer to raise funds and awareness about and for.
Christy Blog

Hope. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) provides hope to thousands of blood cancer patients each year because of research funded through events like Light The Night.

Five years ago, the five-year survival rate for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer, was only 55%. Today the five-year survival rate is 90.5%. Patients are living longer, better lives!

I am extremely hopeful that in another five years we will see incredible advancements toward a cure, but there is still so much work to be done! Acute myeloid leukemia is still around 50% survival. Those odds need to improve! Families shouldn’t have to lose their precious ones to this devastating disease.

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” – Denis Waitley

Please join us to make a difference!
Jenn National Co-Captain

Enter to win today’s prize
5 sets of vinyl wall decals (value=$48.00) courtesy of Stakersensations
How many registered walkers did FOH have in 2007? Hint: You will find the answer is in this post. Wink, wink.]
You’ll also be entered for our grand prize to be drawn Monday for a $900 Timberland and Lacoste product assortment, courtesy of Samsonite. (Comments are moderated.)
Make sure to stop back all week for more information and even more chances to win!

Thank you for stopping by! It’s Day 3 of the Blogging for Blood Cancer event! Today’s prizes include a Beautiful Handmade Soap set from 5-year-old Tasha and 5 pairs of assorted sterling silver earrings (valued at $25) from Designing-Diva. Yesterday’s winner was Commenter #2 – Carrie from PA. Click here to see what walk is closest to you and how you can join the Light The Night Friends of Heroes team.

To qualify to win, leave a comment with an answer to the question after reading the post.

So far we’ve blogged about the importance of blood cancer research and the Light The Night Walk. The one important component that ties these together is money.

Not only is the Light The Night walk an evening to honor blood cancer patients in the biggest battle of their lives, it is also to celebrate the teams of volunteers who fundraise to support blood cancer research and patient service. Funding is absolutely necessary for research to continue and this research will SAVE LIVES.

HOW YOUR DOLLARS ARE USED:

75 cents of every dollar spent goes directly towards supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s mission of a cure. Society-funded research has led to key advances in understanding blood cancer and the life-saving drugs to fight them.

• $500 provides a patient with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma with Patient Financial Aid to support medical treatment, medications and travel to medical appointments for one year.
• $500 allows 10 patients to login to a Webcast and receive the latest medical breakthroughs.
• $400 funds a Family Support Group program for one year.
• $100 provides three patients with access to an information teleconference.
• $100 allows four patients to make a first connection with a trained peer counselor.

THE TRIUMPHS:

• A newly FDA approved drug, Gleevac, has been shown to normalize blood counts in nearly all patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Dr. Brian Druker, a Society-funded researcher, is responsible for this remarkable innovation in cancer research.
• In 1974 the 5 year survival rate for children with the most common form of leukemia was just 53%. Today, 86% of children diagnosed will survive.
• The five year survival rate for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has nearly doubled from 40% in 1960 to 83% today.

PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING:

Fundraising does not have to be a chore! The local Light The Night Staff is trained to help teams raise money and has easy and free tools available. To get new walkers started, some fundraising ideas include:

• Partnering with a business to sell Light The Night Paper Balloons can help contact donors that you wouldn’t normally reach. (Check our Walker Resources or this post for details.) Sometimes companies also have a matching gifts program to boost fundraising dollars.
• If you register for Light The Night and provide an email address, you’ll automatically have a secure online fundraising page created. You can personalize the page like this one or this one and send the URL to family and friends. Participants using the onine fundraising tend to raise about 200% more than those that don’t!
• What do you enjoy? Bowling, scrapbooking, barbeques, golf… turn it into a fundraiser! Visit our Fundraising Idea Sheet or the FOH Newsletters for more ideas.
• Anyone can fundraise! All it takes is a little creativity and passion. One of today’s sponsors is 5-year-old Tasha who sells her handmade soaps to help raise money for her two young friends with leukemia. If she can do it, so can you!

For even more ideas, see all posts under the Fundraising category.

ENTER TO WIN TODAY’S PRIZE:

For a chance to win, leave a comment answering

“How much of every dollar donated goes directly to
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s mission?”

For an extra chance to win, leave another comment with an answer to this question:

“If you were raising money for Light The Night,
which fundraising activity would you pick?”
(or post your own creative fundraising idea!)

Ends at MIDNIGHT PST today.

You’ll also be entered for our grand prize to be drawn Monday for a $900 Timberland and Lacoste product assortment, courtesy of Samsonite. (Comments are moderated.)

Make sure to stop back all week for more information and even more chances to win!

Source: LLS.org