National Honor Society members of Puget Sound Adventist Academy (PSAA) in Kirkland, Wash., participated in the annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk in September 2011.
PSAA's honor society students heard early in the scholastic year about this event and decided to help raise funds for research. What made it worth it for us, as students, was that we all knew someone who had passed away from, survived or is continuing to fight cancer. Each one of us made the goal to raise $100, with a group goal of $1,000.
The day of the walk finally came, and we headed to Green Lake Park to join others who had also raised funds for this cause. At the check-in tables, participants received t-shirts and illuminated balloons indicating whether the person was walking in support of fighting cancer or walking in someone's honor or memory.
When the sun went down, you could see thousands of balloons lighting the night. Our walk began around the lake, with people of different backgrounds, genders and ages coming together for a common cause.
Toward the end of the walk, we saw signs with facts about cancer and what our contributions did that day. To read all of those signs was a little reminder of the great, positive event we participated in.
All of us from PSAA felt rewarded and appreciated life a little more than usual. We know that cancer takes the lives of many, but each person's story is an inspiration and can change us all.
