The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Connecticut Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter celebrated its 2015 Light The Night® event with an Awards Celebration that took place on January 28th at Crowne Plaza in White Plains.
Guests invited to the Awards Party raise a minimum of $1,000 and are awarded on an individual and team fundraising basis. In addition, to friends and family teams, awards are given out to local corporate teams in the Westchester area as well as local sponsors; The Westchester Bank received both a corporate team and local sponsor award. John Tolomer, President & CEO of The Westchester Bank also received a Corporate Walk Chair award for leading as the corporate face of the Light The Night event.
However, the evening focused on recognizing a local and very influential local family in the Pelham community. The Manos Family has been fundraising for Light The Night for ten years in a row and have consistently been one of the top individual fundraisers and fundraising teams. Team Captains, Gina & Peter Manos, started The Warriors team back in 2006 in honor of their son, Peter Jr., who was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) at the age of 12 years old. Never letting up on their fight against cancer over the past ten years, the Manos Family and their team have shown a winning determination by raising over $1 million since their first Walk. Gina & Peter have raised an amazing $105,783 individually for the 2015 Westchester County Walk and because they have raised over $50,000, their team name will be linked with LLS’s acute lymphocytic leukemia research portfolio. The Warriors team has raised an incredible $127,620, making them not only the top friends and family team in the Westchester area for Light The Night, but the overall top team across the Connecticut Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter.
Peter Jr. is now in his early twenties and is in full remission. He is working with his family at their family run business, JDP Mechanical, in New York City.
Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
Light The Night is an inspirational community event that raises awareness and funds groundbreaking research and treatment options to eliminate cancer. When a loved one hears the words, “you have cancer,” it is a dark and scary time. LLS’s Light The Night brings light to the darkness of cancer through hope, research, and support for patients, families, friends, doctors, nurses, researchers, colleagues, and caregivers. During this event, participants carry illuminated lanterns – white for survivors, red for supporters and gold in memory of loved ones lost to blood cancer.
This year, the 2016 Westchester County Walk will be held on Saturday, November 5th at Kingsland Point Park in Historic Sleepy Hollow, NY.
Since it began in 1999, the Light The Night campaign culminated in nearly 200 Walks across North America has helped LLS invest over $1 billion in research to advance breakthrough cancer treatments that are saving lives today. To learn how you can become involved, please
call the Connecticut Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter’s Light The Night main line at 203- 388-9196 or visit www.lightthenight.org/ctwhv.
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.
