Light the Night

As you all know, the reason I began to write this blog is to express myself as I went/go through a difficult and challenging stage in my life. Leukemia is the reason, the reason I now come to you in support of those who have been through, and will go through a similar, yet hopefully one day, preventable and 100% curable disease. Leukemia and Lymphoma rage through the world taking many casualties in its wake. Me being on of them. I was taken down, but was given the chance to fight back, and now I am getting my feet back, ready to run again. Here's something that I want to do, and all of those who have been supporting me, can continue to help me out!

I have so far just registered as a participant of Light the Night, an organized walk, kind of like the Terry Fox Run. Only instead of raising funds for Cancer research, it is run through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As I have first hand experience in the effects these numerous diseases cause, not only physically, but emotionally and psychologically, I feel as a survivor, it is time to give something back. As a participant in the Light the Night I want to raise some money to help fight this disease, and walk in memory and support of those who have and also been affected by it. My goal is to raise $500 by October 1st, which is the day of the walk. I ask that you would be generous in your donation, but if I can get fifty people to donate $10 each, my goal is definitely attainable.

WHAT IS LIGHT THE NIGHT ?
Light The Night is an international fundraising campaign to commemorate and celebrate lives touched by cancer. It has been taking place across the United States for the past six years; however 2005 will see the first Light the Night
Walks in Canada!

WHY WE WALK?
• Leukemia, lymphoma, & myeloma are cancers that originate in the bone marrow and lymphatic tissues
• An estimated 67,000 Canadians are currently living with blood cancers
• Every 40 minutes, someone is diagnosed - more than 13,000 new cases are expected each year
• Every 80 minutes someone dies from one of the blood cancers
• Leukemia is the leading cause of disease related death among children under 15
Impact of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society began operation in 1949 and on July 1, 2004, affiliated with the Leukemia
Research Fund of Canada
• $378 million has been spent on research to date
• Currently funding 493 researchers in 16 countries
• Planning to pilot a series of newly-developed and tested patient support services in Canada including on-line and
toll-free patient education plus back to school programs for children living with one of the blood cancers
• In the past 40 years, the five-year survival rate for children with the most common form of leukemia has more
than tripled!
• The five-year survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphoma has risen from 31% to 52% since 1960. In children, the
five-year survival rate is now 78%

Please help me to help others who have been affected by Leukemia and Lymphoma!

To donate please go to this website:

http://www.active.com/donations/fundraise_public.cfm?key=ltnWetherill

If you are nervous about Credit Cards over the internet you can send cheques payable to:

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

my mailing address:

Justin Wetherill

6523 Laurentian Way SW

Calgary Alberta

T3E 5N4