WINONA LAKE – The annual corporate support kickoff breakfast for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk was Thursday morning in Winona Lake.
The walk will be Sept. 22 at Rodeheaver Auditorium, Winona Lake.
The 1-1/2-mile walk is one of seven in Indiana. Walkers raise funds for research to cure blood cancers.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for registration, food and festivities, and the walk begins at 7 p.m.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.
The walkers hold red balloons that stand for research supporters of blood cancers, white balloons represent those who currently have blood cancers, and gold balloons represent those in memory who have lost the fight to blood cancers.
There are six teams currently registered for the walk, according to Sara McCurdy, campaign manager.
Last year, Winona Lake raised $37,411, and the goal this year is $49,445.
This year’s walk honoree is Sean Hamilton, 13, Warsaw.
Hamilton is the son of Joe and Karin Hamilton.
Sean was unable to attend Thursday’s breakfast due to having low blood counts.
He will attend Edgewood Middle School in the fall where he will be an eighth-grader.
Sean is battling Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, a blood cancer he was diagnosed with July 5. Doctors found he had leukemia in his blood and bone marrow.
Although he is serving as the honored hero, Sean has an honored hero of his own.
He will be walking in honor of Bailey Moore, 14, who lost her fight to Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Moore was diagnosed four days after Sean.
“Sean and Bailey got to know each other and did a lot of praying for each other,” Joe said. “This last year has been real hard on Sean, but he keeps pushing and it is good to see.”
Joe said he and his son found out about the walk last year. They formed a team, and raised the most funds in a week for a team.
Sean’s goal as the honored hero is to spread awareness about childhood leukemia, and to encourage other kids in similar situations not to give up.
People interested in registering for the walk can visit www.lightthenight.org
