The Impact of Illumination: Thousands Light the Night.
By: Grace Smith – Wise News Network
CHARLOTTE, NC (WNN) – In the heart of Charlotte, beneath a sea of lights, a wave of hope passed through the city. This hope radiated from thousands of lanterns; each representing an individual who chose to Light the Night in support of blood cancer research.
On November 18, 2023, Light the Night Charlotte participants gathered at the American Legion Memorial Stadium. Thousands of people arrived to support a cause that affects millions across the globe.
Light the Night is an annual event organized by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Its goal is to raise money and awareness for blood cancer in hopes of finding a cure. Fundraising for Light the Night occurs year-round with the event as the culmination.
The main attraction of the event is the walk through downtown Charlotte. Following a brief opening ceremony, participants walked with illuminated lanterns out of the stadium and around a one-mile path.
Ashley Davis is the campaign development manager for Light the Night Charlotte. She said the event is an opportunity for the community to gather under a common goal: finding a cure for blood cancer.
“Participants come from all walks of life, all over the city and outside of the city, all together to raise lanterns that symbolize their connection to cancer,” said Davis.ย
These lanterns are the focal point of the evening. Red lanterns symbolize solidarity and support, gold represents participants who have lost a loved one and white personifies those who are patients or survivors.
The event kicked off at 4:30 p.m., as participants gathered at the stadium in preparation for the opening ceremony. Upon entering the stadium, attendees could pick up a lantern of their desired color.
A woman named Lexie volunteered for Light the Night. She tended to one of the lantern booths, ensuring each participant had access to their prospective lanterns. Driven by her passion for finding a cure, she volunteered for Light the Night for the first time.
“I’m just super excited to see how the night goes and kind of just learn more about the society that’s here tonight,” said Lexie.ย
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the largest non-profit organization dedicated to blood cancer research. It has been active since 1949, and, according to its website, has invested over 1.7 billion dollars to the cause.
Specifically, this year’s event showcased an impressive milestone for the society. Light the Night surmounted $1 billion donated since the first “celebration of light” in 1999.
“We have now reached the $1 billion impact for our mission at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, through Light the Night alone. Light the Night participants all across the countr, have made an incredible impact,” said Davis.
As event goers gathered on the turf, several vendors enticed participants to visit their booths. Davis and her team organized several activities to occupy attendees before the opening ceremony.
At the end of the stadium, a bouncy slide and miniature golf course kept the children active. Mascots from some of Charlotte’s beloved organizations high-fived and hugged kids as they played in the children’s zone.ย
Additionally, kids widely enjoyed the Women in Science station as a popular attraction. Charlotte Radiology sponsored the booth and sent representatives to guide participants through some radiology activities.
“It’s a radiology-themed search and find activity for kids to come in and discover what x-rays are and find the missing items and anomalies. So just fun, interactive and encouraging women to explore opportunities in science,”said Brittney, a representative from Charlotte Radiology.ย
While some attendees participated solely to support the cause, many did so because of personal connections to blood cancer.
Liz Stiff and her family participated in Light the Night to honor her sister’s remission.
“My little sister Allie was diagnosed with lymphoma about three years ago. She is currently in remission after six different courses of treatment … We’re here with all of our family and friends supporting her and cheering her on as she continues to recover,” said Stiff.ย
At 6 p.m. Kristen Miranda, WBTV’s Managing Editor of Lifestyle Content, Queen City’s Life Host and the Master of Ceremonies for Light the Night, called event-goers to gather around the stage.
Miranda has hosted the event since 2019, bringing supporters of the LLS together for the impactful opening ceremonies. Every year Light the Night recognizes a specific Honored Hero to give a speech, along with three other Honored Heroes who represent each symbolic lantern.
This year, David Buckland spoke at the ceremony. Miranda welcomed him to the stage and the 13-year-old cancer patient approached the podium.
In his speech, Buckland recounted his experience with his diagnosis. A week before he turned 13 Buckland started feeling ill and fatigued. Not wanting sickness to ruin his birthday party, he pushed through his symptoms assuming he had a mild bug.
However, as his party approached, Buckland felt significantly worse.
“Before I knew it, I was rushed to the emergency room to find out what was going on. My parents talked to the doctors while they ran tests on me, and then after hours and hours, we finally had an answer,” said Buckland in his speech.ย
Doctors diagnosed him with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
“I remember asking my mom, Leukemia is cancer, right,” Buckland said, “We were all in complete shock. Cancer, how could I have cancer?”
Buckland recounted how his diagnosis affected him. He has missed out on attending school in person and being on the wrestling team. His diagnosis made him feel like he was missing out on his childhood.
However, despite the challenges Buckland has encountered, he remains hopeful.
“My prognosis is positive and I’m determined to crush my last two years of treatment,” said Buckland.ย
The young survivor has adopted new hobbies, such as solving Rubix cubes, to keep him occupied during his treatment. He has not let the constraints of cancer prevent him from being a kid.
In addition to Buckland’s heartwarming speech, Miranda shared several stories of survivors, supporters and those who marched in memory of a loved one.ย
She welcomed three participants to the stage, one at a time. First, she had Sarah, a woman holding a gold lantern, approach the stage. Sarah attended Light the Night in remembrance of her father, Tom Crafton.
Crafton’s family remembers their lost loved one through his constant optimism and strength.
“The doctors delivered bad news frequently throughout his hospital stays, and he’d say, “Well, it’s not what we hoped for, but we’ll get through it,” said Miranda, as Sarah stood beside her, illuminating a golden lantern.ย
After eulogizing Crafton, Miranda asked all participants with golden lanterns to turn on their lights and raise them high. Next, she had a young girl, Natiya, come to the stage with her white lantern.
Natiya faced a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of four, enduring 18 spinal taps and multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Her family played a crucial role as a support system, empowering her throughout the challenging treatments.
“Natiya rang her bell in February of 2019. She is now a thriving 11-year-old in her first year of middle school with dreams to become, and she’s very specific about this, a chemist,” said Miranda as the girl stood on the stage.ย
Following Natiya’s lead, the participants with glowing white lanterns held them in the air. They received instructions to move to the center of the crowd, where a spotlight shot up into the air.
Cancer patients and survivors exist at the heart of this event. They gathered around the spotlight as Miranda told more stories of survivors and patients alike.
The last representative called to the stage donned the red lantern. Brett Frankenberg is the Light the Night corporate spokesperson for Coca-Cola Consolidated, one of the corporate sponsors for the event.
He is a cancer survivor himself. Although he did not have blood cancer specifically, his battle inspired him to get involved on a corporate level.
“Brett understands that the LLS impact goes far beyond blood cancer. Brett represents all our Red Lantern holders tonight because he shares our common goal to end cancer,” said Miranda.ย
As Frankenburg raised his red lantern in the air, the remaining participants followed suit.
With thousands of lanterns igniting the night sky, Miranda announced that participants could begin their walk. Survivors and patients led the way as the sea of red and golden lanterns followed.
After the walk, participants enjoyed a laser light show, celebrating the supporters and volunteers for all their fundraising efforts.
Participants made the event memorable, helping LLS achieve the $1 billion milestone. Those who wish to donate to Light the Night can do so on the Light the Night website.
As the event came to a close, participants turned their lanterns off. The sea of lights blinked away, but the wave of hope ricocheted around Charlotte. The illuminated lanterns symbolized support for the cause and shed light on this impactful disease.
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