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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk raises funds to support blood cancer research and provide services to patients and their families. Each Light the Night Walk honors local blood cancer survivors and commemorates individuals who have lost their lives to these diseases. The Westchester County Walk will take place on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Playland Amusement Park in Rye. Registration is now open at http://www.lightthenight.org/ctwhv.
Jeffrey Clark Jr. of Peekskill was 21-years-old when he was diagnosed with large B cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2010. After returning from a family vacation, he noticed that a persistent sore throat had not improved and his lymph glands had become painfully swollen, despite having had several rounds of antibiotics. His mom, Marion, immediately scheduled a follow-up visit with his doctor and requested he have a PET scan due to her own history of lymphoma. The results of the scan and an examination by an oncologist confirmed the family's worst fear: Jeffrey had stage 4 lymphoma and needed immediate hospitalization to undergo aggressive chemotherapy.
After his diagnosis, Clark expressed his desire to give back to those fighting this disease and planned to participate in the 2012 Light the Night Walk. Several months before the walk, he was hospitalized and passed away shortly after the event on Nov. 21, 2012.
Clark's family and friends participated in the 2013 Westchester County Walk and raised nearly $8,000 in his memory to fulfill his wish to support this worthy cause and continue research to find cures for all blood cancers. As one of this year's "In Memory" honoree teams, Jeffrey Lived Loved Laughed will continue to honor Jeffrey's memory by raising funds for LLS in the 2014 Westchester Walk.
Last year, the seven Connecticut Westchester Hudson Valley Walks included more than 11,000 walkers who collectively raised over $1.6 million. The Westchester Walk alone raised over $815,000 in 2013. This year’s goal for the event is to raise $890,000. Anyone interested in registering or volunteering for the 2014 walks can visit http://www.lightthenight.org/ctwhv or call 914-821-8362.
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