leukemia

Light the Night 2011 – Walk day

Two posts in one week! I’m on a roll. We had a nice team turnout, joined nearly 6,000 supporters (red balloons), survivors (white balloons), and people like us walking in remembrance of a loved one lost to leukemia (gold balloons). There was even dancing in the street, as evidenced by the video of my pastor and his daughter that has already made its way on facebook, but somehow I missed that part 🙂

When I went to the balloon tent to pick up balloons for my family there was a bit wait for gold and red balloons. They run out of those very quickly and were furiously trying to get more ready. There was a great big pile of white balloons all ready to go but they aren’t in as high demand. Leukemia is a deadly disease and there are certainly more people walking in remembrance than there are survivors. I’m so grateful that we were able to meet our fundraising goal. As it stands now, Team Jared Hess 2011 has raised $3,125.00 that will go toward lifesaving research and patient services.

As a team organizer you have to think logically about, well, organizing things: fundraising, meeting up with people, fundraising, making (and bringing) the banner, fundraising some more, etc. There were a few bittersweet moments at the walk though, just taking it all in, and remembering that the reason we’re there at all is because Jared is no longer with us. I was reminded of a quote in a book that I had to go look up just now, “The presence of that absence is everywhere.” -Edna St. Vincent Millay-

And yet tonight, there we were, with thousands of people, unconnected in our day to day lives but linked this one night by a similar circumstance, by friendship and family, by hope, courage and perseverance in the face of a deadly enemy. That presence was also everywhere. It embodies what it’s been like to lose my husband to cancer. Remembering and moving forward, surviving and Living, both hanging in the balance, always.

Here’s a link to the Light the Night Photo album I made on facebook. It’s a public link so you don’t have to have a FB account to view it. Just click on the link and enjoy.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2489325790833.2142362.1183355227&type=1&l=00456465e6