The mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is to find a cure for blood cancers and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. It is the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding research on blood cancers, finding cures, and ensuring access to treatments. Throughout the year, the organization hosts several Light the Night 5K walks throughout North America to create awareness, raise money, and foster a sense of community between those affected by the diseases.
This year, the Montréal office of Rizing HCM developed a game plan to support the cause and the event. Because we are a competitive bunch, we decided that we could maximize our contribution with a hint of friendly competition. Employees based in Montréal (where we attended the walk) were grouped into five teams, each of which was led by an executive team captain. In the weeks leading up to the walk, the teams were provided with a series of challenges with the intention of team building and fundraising. Our corporate goal was to raise $5,000 and for each person attending the walk to bring at least one friend or family member with them.
Our efforts truly materialized two weeks prior to the walk, where our five teams fundraised a total of $17,250, generously donated by our employees’ friends, families, and colleagues. That’s a value that exceeded our goal by three-fold heading to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This amount will help patients through multiple stages of treatment and support ground-breaking research on a vaccine against blood cancers.
However, our team representative with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society emphasized that donating time would be even more valuable than donating money. For this reason, about 50 of our team members (comprised of employees, friends, and families) gathered at Parc Jean Drapeau in Montréal last Saturday for the official Light the Night walk.
The event featured an opening ceremony, where people who were directly affected by blood cancers shared their experiences and, of course, a 5K walk where each kilometer presented a theme. As supporters of the cause, we had the opportunity to honor those lost to blood cancers, celebrate those who survived, and support those who were affected by raising our glowing lanterns in the sky as we marched.
The next day, we learned that the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society had raised its record amount of funds in Canada: $1,292,777. Rizing HCM is proud to have contributed to this number and to have shown our support. We look forward to beating our personal fundraising record next year and encourage everyone to participate in their local Light the Night event.
