Lymphoma survivor, father and husband Garry Denk of Northbrook, 39, will be honored on Sunday, Sept. 25 at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society?s (LLS) annual Light The Night Walk at Gallery Park in Glenview. That night, Garry will walk along with thousands of other participants to honor survivors, remember loved ones and march in recognition of those still battling blood cancers.
Light The Night is LLS?s annual fundraising walk held in communities throughout the country to celebrate and commemorate lives, like Garry?s, that have been touched by cancer. More than 8,000 people in Illinois participate by forming teams with co-workers, families and friends to raise funds for life-saving blood cancer research and patient services.
Garry?s is one life saved. Last year, what he thought was a respiratory infection ended up, a few months later, as a diagnosis of Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma. Garry?s six months of chemotherapy treatment began in July 2010, on his 38th birthday. After four months of treatment, his scans came back clean and Garry was able to enjoy Christmas with his family as a cancer-free man!
He says, ?I feel it is so important to support LLS and other groups so that everyone who is diagnosed with cancer will have the same opportunities and success as me.? For the second year, Garry will walk with friends and family to support those fighting blood cancers. Last year the team walked as Garry Will Win! and this year, in celebration of their survivor?s victory over cancer, the team will walk as ?Garry Won!
?We are so appreciative to Garry and his family for being willing to share the experience of lymphoma,? says LLS executive director Pam Swenk. ?As hard as it is to tell the story, it helps people understand how important Light The Night is, and what a difference The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society makes. Without the commitment of each and every walker that comes out and carries a balloon to symbolize our mission, and the dollars raised, we would not be able to invest in the research that is changing the quality of life for people living with cancer.?
The Light The Night Walk is a two-mile, non-competitive event. Participants carry illuminated balloons while they walk ? white for survivors, red for supporters and gold to remember those we have lost to blood cancer. Pre-Walk festivities include music, food, entertainment, and kids activities, beginning at 5:30 p.m. A brief program will recognize Honored Heroes like Garry, before the Walk itself starts at 7 p.m.
In addition to Glenview, other area locations for the Light The Night Walk include Chicago (Grant Park), Lisle and Rockford. The Walk is held in September in recognition of Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma Awareness Month.
Last year, participants in the Light The Night Walk raised more than $45 million, nationwide. For more information or to register for a local Walk, contact the Illinois Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at (312) 651-7354 or visit www.lightthenight.org/il.
Light The Night?s 2011 National Supporting Sponsors in the United States are Burlington Coat Factory, Carter?s, Inc., Celgene, Cephalon, Elbit Systems of America, Genentech/Biogen Idec, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company and Pfizer.
The Local Presenting Sponsor is Wells Fargo Private Bank.
Other Local Sponsors include: Anita Dee Yacht Charters, Astellas USA Foundation, Catered By Design, Chicago Sun-Times, Credit Suisse, Crowe Horwath, Dominick?s, Greenberg Traurig, Integrys Energy Services, LifeSource, NBC 5 Chicago, SwedishAmerican Health System, B 103 FM and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care.
About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ? (LLS) is the world?s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin?s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.
Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. www.lls.org.
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