North and Central Florida Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society announces the Central Florida Light The Night event

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has launched a COVID-19 Patient Support program giving $250 to any blood cancer patients that needed it.  To date, the organization has given over $2.9 million dollars to just over 11,000 patients.

One of the local chapter’s largest fundraiser, the Central Florida Light The Night event is an evening event that brings the community together to bring “light” to the darkness of cancer.  The event is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 13, 2020 at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando.

“There is a possibility that we’ll have to do the event virtually,” says Bertin-Queena, “but either way we will be moving forward with this fundraiser because our patients need us.”

With the world facing a global pandemic and economic crisis, you would think the last thing a busy business leader would want to do is Chair a fundraising event.  Not so for Joe Morse, President of Therigy, who stepped up to the plate and agreed to Chair this year’s Light The Night fundraising event for the local chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

“The reality,” Morse says, “is cancer hasn’t stopped and the patients and families served by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society need us now more than ever.”

In 2006 Morse’s wife Kristin was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

“We were blessed that my wife received the care and treatments she needed during that time. And we were even more blessed that she received Rituxan, a drug funded by LLS, that put the cancer in remission.  We have so many reasons to give back to LLS, and we’re confident that their model of funding researchers while supporting patients is working to save more lives like Kristin’s,” says Morse.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled,” says Lisa Bertin-Queena, Senior Campaign Manager of the Central Florida Light The Night event.  “Joe is such an incredible person with a big heart who is so passionate about our mission to end blood cancer. He is the perfect fit to be our Corporate Walk Chair. With everything that is going on in the world right now, we feel like we just won the lottery! “

COVID-19 has certainly had its impact on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society nationwide, forcing the organization to cancel or postpone several of its fundraisers.

“Our hearts go out to families dealing with COVID-19 and we are just as anxious as everyone else to see this all come to an end, “ says LLS Executive Director David Wiggins.  “In the meantime, we are doing our best to be here for the local blood cancer patients who rely on our services.”

 

To learn more about the Central Florida Light The Night visit www.lightthenight.org/cfl

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