Local couple raises $75,000
Light the Night Walk is Saturday at new venue, Avaya Stadium
A routine blood test three years ago revealed that Willow Glen resident Chris Neumann had chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
That discovery happened to come just a month before the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s annual Light the Night Walk was to take place. Although Neumann and his wife Melissa didn’t have much time to prepare for the event, they quickly started what is now the organization’s top local Friends and Family fundraising team.
And to date, the couple’s own Crispy’s Crew team has raised about $75,000.
“Our team raised $12,000 in a month,” Chris Neumann said about their first year doing the walk. “We found out about the walk within a matter of days. We raised a lot more than we thought we could.”
This year, the Neumanns managed to beat their $20,000 fundraising goal by $2,000 before the Silicon Valley Light the Night Walk returns on Oct. 22 in its new venue at Avaya Stadium. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society hopes to raise a total of $1.5 million to fund blood cancer treatments and research.
At the age of 47, Chris Neumann is younger than most blood cancer patients, who are usually diagnosed in their 60s and 70s. Because he will have to take medication for the rest of his life, the funds raised through Light the Night help pay for his treatment as well as that of other patients.
“It’s a chronic condition,” he said. “You can use drugs to get to where you don’t have any symptoms,” but they can come back months or even years later.
Blood cancer, which includes leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, is among the most prevalent cancers. Neumann’s type of leukemia begins in the bone marrow and makes damaged cells multiply and crowd out normal healthy cells, suppressing his immune system and leaving him more susceptible to illness and infection.
“It’s not a tumor that you can target; it’s everywhere,” Neumann said. “It’s in my blood, it’s in my bone marrow.”
Some of the symptoms Neumann experiences include swollen lymph nodes, night sweats and easy bruises. Because of its systemic effects, blood cancer research is often used to help patients with other cancer types.
“Blood cancer is the tip of the spear for cancer research,” said Courtney Karnes, executive director for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay chapter. “That’s where we find the best success.”
When Neumann was first diagnosed, he was told he would most likely die from a common infection like pneumonia that he otherwise would be able to fight off with a healthy immune system. Thanks to research and treatment advancements, Neumann is feeling pretty good these days and focuses on treating his symptoms. He and Melissa Neumann also host an annual Kentucky Derby party which raised $13,000 last year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
“It’s actually at our house, we have a whole Kentucky-themed party” where guests don oversized, elegant hats and sip on mint juleps, Melissa Neumann said. “We request a $100 donation per person. We had 75 people last year.”
Registration and parking are free for Light the Night, but participants are encouraged to contribute what they can at the onemile walk, which celebrates the event’s “Honored Hero,” 2-year-old Bay Area resident Liam, who has been fighting acute myeloid leukemia since he was 18 months old.
Lanterns in white, red and gold will illuminate the sky that evening, symbolizing the countless patients and their loved ones who have been affected by cancers of all types.
“There’s currently over one million patients living with blood cancer and many of them live here in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley,” Karnes said. “Family members of patients live everywhere, so it’s a matter of making sure we meet the needs of the cancer community at large and that we’re providing the best support that we can.”
Light the Night Walk takes place at Avaya Stadium on Oct. 22 starting at 5 p.m. Parking is free and same-day registration is allowed. For more information, visit lightthenight. org/svmb.