Light the Night, an event organized by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, is perhaps one of the most inspiring and picturesque fundraising events of the year.

Light the Night is a five kilometre walk that begins and ends in Kiwanis Park. The walk takes place at twilight amidst the glow of hundreds of paper lanterns. While undoubtedly a beautiful backdrop for such a powerful event, the colours of the lanterns also hold a symbolic meaning — red for cancer supporters, white for survivors and gold for those walking in memory of a loved one.

This year the walk will take place on Oct. 5 and is expected to have an even greater attendance than the previous year’s total of 600 — which in turn means more money raised for blood cancer research.

“Our fundraising saw a huge jump. We went from $125,000 to $212,000 raised,” said Aviva Zack, Saskatoon’s Light the Night coordinator. “In Canada we won the distinction of the biggest year-to-year growth as far as participants and fundraising dollars go.”

Participants are encouraged to raise $100 each for the fundraiser. Walkers can take part in the event as an individual or as a team. Those who raise the minimum amount are called “Champions for Cures” and are given a complimentary t-shirt and an illuminated lantern. The money goes towards covering the cost of the event and investing in future cancer research on both a city-wide and national scale.

“There’s one study that we just funded being done at the University of Saskatchewan which is really exciting,” Zack said. “These dollars are staying in the community and then we provide support services with the money we raise.”

Companies and local businesses can also be a part of Light the Night by becoming sponsors for the event — which involves gathering donations, providing signage and offering product sampling during the walk. Volunteers are a vital part of the night as well as they organize and plan the evening to ensure that it is successful and memorable.

In addition to being used for Saskatoon-based research and support, the money fundraised by Light the Night has been valuable in the development of new cancer treatments and immunotherapies which respectively target and eliminate cancer cells and use the patient’s immune system to battle the disease.

“Some of the drugs funded through events like Light the Night have actually impacted other cancers like breast cancer,” Zack said. “And some of these drugs coming to market are helping prolong the lives of other cancer” patients.

Light the Night is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s largest and most unique event, taking place in 200 communities across North America annually. The society also organizes small scale youth and team training programs to give support on a more intimate community level.

“Cancer impacts pretty much all of us,” Zack said. “Whether it’s your teacher, your neighbor [or] your family member, coming together as a community is really important.”

Each major city in Canada that hosts Light the Night has an Honoured Hero — a cancer survivor who speaks at the walk and acts as a source of inspiration for the event’s participants.

Jason Jacobson — Light the Night’s 2014 Honoured Hero and follicular lymphoma survivor —  walks in memory of Bev Allen, Saskatoon’s Remembered Hero, with the group Poppa’s Pavement Pounders.

“Bev was a great support after my diagnosis. I was scared and had many questions. He had just been through the treatment I was about to experience and he eased much of my fear of the unknown,” Jacobson said.

Light the Night reminds those fighting against cancer that they are not alone. Being surrounded by people who have gone through or have watched others go through a similar  journey is a powerful source of hope for the event’s participants, as is the fact that the walk raises money that is put towards finding a cure.

“Hang in there, things will get better,” Jacobson said. “Everyone’s case is unique [and] new treatments are being offered all the time. Remember to keep living your life.”

Promoting a feeling of togetherness and support is one of the central goals of Light the Night. Through this event, those who have felt the impact of blood cancer in their own lives or in the lives of those close to them are able to provide one another with optimism and encouragement.

“Seeing a huge line of lanterns along the river bank’s night sky was amazing,” Jacobson said. “Everyone is there for one reason — to beat blood cancer. There is power in numbers and Saskatoon’s participation is impressive.”

Registration for Light the Night is open until Oct. 5 and is available online at www.lightthenight.org.