July 27, 2012 — This year will be the start of something new, the Light the Night Awareness Walk.
The evening walk on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will celebrate and commemorate lives touched by blood cancers.
Companies, teams, civic groups, neighbors, and friends raise funds and walk carrying illuminated balloons - white for survivors, red for supporters, and gold in memory of those lost to these cancers.
Scrappy Barnes of Pikeville is trying to reach out to as many counties as possible to attend the event.
“This is the first year that we will be encompassing other Eastern Kentucky counties into the event, we have 10 so far that will be participating,” Barnes said.
Barnes is very excited about the event and anticipates a positive outcome.
“It will be a great opportunity to generate money for research,” he said. “I like being involved in something that actually matters.”
His daughter, Rachel Barnes, 22, attended Morehead State University, and was diagnosed with cancer during her freshman year.
After her death in 2005, Scrappy has done all that he can to help raise money for research.
“Everyone was so helpful during her battle, I just want to return the help to others going through the same thing,” Barnes said.
The walk will be at Pikeville City Park at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13. Barnes is hoping for 1,000 to 1,500 persons to be there.
“There are inflatable’s for the kids, beauticians to cut hair for locks of love, and a blood drive will be going on,” he said.
Rowan County is helping raise money through a Penny for Patients fundraiser.
This activity is for kindergarten through college-level students and is intended to help raise awareness and money for research.
Barnes says the L & L Society is well on its way to accomplishing its mission and is investing millions of dollars in the most promising blood cancer research available and seeing tangible results.
For more information on the event or to become involved as a volunteer, contact Scrappy Barnes at 606-432-5279. Search rachelcatherinebarnes on the Internet.
