Light the Night Quebec raises $ 117,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada

Click on the image above to see the photo gallery.

UFCW Canada Local 503 members, activists and officers recently joined over 500 participants for 4th Annual Light the Night walk in Quebec City. A bit of rain didn't dampen the spirits of the participants, who helped shine a ray of hope by holding illuminated balloons as they walked to raise money for the research efforts of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).

UFCW Canada Local 503 President Steeve Bégin and, Roxanne Larouche, Local 503 communications coordinator, were two of the co-chairs for the event, which by the end of the night raised a record $117,000 through the efforts of all the members of the community who participated.

"Individually and collectively, we can't remain indifferent to a disease that disrupts thousands of lives each year," said Brother Bégin. "That is why our great union has been involved since 1985 with the LLSC, because we know the money raised has made a real difference in saving lives, and finding better treatments."

Since adopting the LLSC as its charity of choice, the UFCW Canada family has raised over $26 million for leukemia research — including a record $2.4 million raised last year that for the seventh year in a row made UFCW Canada Local Unions and members the largest annual source of donations to find a cure and more effective treatments for leukemia and other blood cancers.

"You wouldn't know to see them, that some of those we walked with are in remission while others continue to confront this terrible disease," said Sister Larouche. "Their courage is really what shone through night, and reminded us we cannot stop until leukemia and other blood cancers are a thing of the past."