In the next few months, hundreds of Elekta employees will take to the streets across North America to raise funds through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS’s) Light the Night Walk events. Their goal is to bring light to the dark world of cancer.

Elekta will participate in the Light the Night Walks in the four cities where its main offices are located: St. Louis, MO; San Jose, CA; Atlanta, GA; and Las Vegas, NV – but all employees are welcome to attend.

Cathy Jamieson, Workplace Advocate Manager in San Jose, says: “The idea this year is to focus on team fundraising rather than sponsoring or supporting individuals. We want the money that the company donates to encourage employees to work together as a community, while still contributing to the fight against cancer. The Light the Night Walk works well to develop this team spirit.”

Elekta has made a donation of USD 10,000 to the walk in each of the four cities. This means that all employees and their families are welcome to join the walks and attend a party before the walk.

Jamieson explains why Elekta has chosen to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “A lot of research was done during the selection process. We spoke with representatives from the National Brain Tumor Society, the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen foundation, and several others. But we wanted to find something that had the potential to bring our employees together for an event they would all remember. In the end we decided that the Light the Night Walks were best suited.

“The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was able to offer us some key marketing benefits in addition to the employee experience through the Light the Night Walks. Because our software is used in every kind of cancer treatment center, every cancer patient has the potential to be touched by our products,” she says. “But in the end it isn’t about marketing – it’s about working together to do good in our local communities.”

Research funded by the LLS has led or contributed to advances such as chemotherapy, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation The LLS has invested more than USD 750 million in research, and approximately USD 72 million in fiscal year 2010 alone.

The walks are short, about two miles (3.2 km), at a leisurely pace and each walker will receive a T-shirt and an illuminated balloon to carry during the walk – white for survivors, red for supporters and gold in memory of loved ones lost to cancer.

Event details:
St. Louis, Missouri – Forest Park – Fri, September 23, 2011
Contact Doug Curran, Work: +13148124383, Mobile: +13145664931
Visit the St. Louis team site and click on ‘Walk with us’ to register

San Jose, California – Arena Green Park – Sat, October 22, 2011
Contact Cathy Jamieson, Work: +14088308152, Mobile: +14088585227
Visit the San Jose team site and click on ‘Walk with us’ to register

Atlanta, Georgia – Centennial Olympic Park – Sat, November 5, 2011
Contact Heather Nicholson, Work: +17706702345, Mobile: +16789109346
Visit the Atlanta team site and click on ‘Walk with us’ to register

Las Vegas, Nevada – Kellogg Zaher Park – Sat, November 12, 2011
Contact Maybelle Manalo, Work: +17029925054
Visit the Las Vegas team site and click on ‘Walk with us’ to register

Related links: Light the Night Walk