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18th year Light the Night honors cancer survivors and fighters

Posted at 9:15 PM, Sep 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-23 23:24:09-04

It's the 18th year of the Light the Night event, where approximately 3,000 people were expected to attend, and honor those who have battled cancer. Thousands of lanterns lit up Delaware Park Friday night to honor cancer fighters and survivors.

"There's a lot of people around that are supporting you and to know that, it's just such a great thing," said Wayne Bryant, who's been with team Wayne Warriors in this event since 2006. "It gives you hope, it gives you inspiration."

The red lanterns are for supporters.

"We've lost partners in our firm to cancer, we've lost friends, family members... so we just keep fighting," said Wendy Mednick who's on Team L&M Financial. "We're a small community that comes together. We fight every single day for a lot of different causes."

The gold lanterns are illuminated in memory of loved ones lost to cancer.

"My first born brother, when he was an infant, died from leukemia and almost 60 years ago, someone I never met and the most influential person in my life," Amy Lipsitz, who's also part of Team L&M Financial. 

Although it's the 18th year of this event, it's the inaugural survivors' parade.

"Back in the 60's, when 100 children were diagnosed with childhood leukemia, only three survived," said Wayne. "Today, over 90 survive."

Organizers say they raised $435,000 last year. They hope to raise half a million this time.

To donate money and help the the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disese and myeloma, click here.