The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada celebrates an evening of solidarity at The Light The Night Walk in Halifax

HALIFAX, Oct. 24, 2015 /CNW/ - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada's (LLSC) Atlantic Canada Region will celebrate its 5th annual Light The Night® Walk on Saturday October 24 at Garrison Grounds in Halifax at 5:00 pm.

The special stars of this year's Halifax walk are 8-year-old Aila Stuart and 12-year-old Erin Beattie. Aila loves tea parties, spending time with her little sisters, and is a leukemia survivor. She completed her treatment in April of this year. Erin loves horses, and developed a love for decorating cakes during her downtime in treatment. Erin is currently in maintenance therapy for treatment of leukemia. Both girls are celebrating Light The Night cancer free with their respective teams: Team Aila and Tough Cookies. This year, as Honoured Heroes, Aila and Erin will provide inspiration and support to Light The Night participants, volunteers and staff.

"Never give up, that's for sure," said Beattie. "Because at the end, look at me. I'm totally fine right now. So, you never know what could happen if you try." Aila and Erin will be joined by over 3000 participants as they carry illuminated lanterns – white for survivors, red for supporters and gold in memory of loved ones lost to cancer. Anyone big, small, young or old can shine a light on the importance of finding cures and ensuring access to treatments for blood cancer patients.

Light The Night is LLSC's annual walk and fundraising event, and the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to people battling cancer. Friends, families and co-workers form fundraising teams and raise funds to support the LLSC mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma; and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. These efforts culminate in inspirational, memorable evening walks in nearly 200 communities across North America each fall.

LLSC and its US affiliate, LLS, are the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to finding cures for leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers. Through its efforts it has invested more than $1 billion in cutting-edge research to advance therapies. Thanks to research, survival rates for patients with many blood cancers have doubled, tripled and even quadrupled since the early 1960s.

To form a team or to learn more, please call the The Halifax Chapter of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at 1-902-422-5999 or visit www.lightthenight.ca .

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, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLSCanada.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at [phone], Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

Halifax Chapter
1660 Hollis St., Suite HS2
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 1V7

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada

Vanessa Taylor, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, 902-422-5999, [email protected]