Sharon Stewart wants to light up a September night for her brother who died from cancer.
Five years ago, 54-year-old Paul Rudolph passed away following a battle with leukemia. Stewart said her brother was going through his treatments at the time Reese Hawkins of Pictou was diagnosed with the same blood cancer, so he always felt a special bond with the young girl.
“Paul fought leukemia for two years, the same time Baby Reese did,” Stewart said. “He got his stem cells first and they helped him about one year. It wasn't a great quality of life, but it was okay. It seemed like after everything that happened, it was time. He was here every day Baby Reese went through it and that was his little angel. Every day he woke up for her.”
For six years, the Hawkins family raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphona Society of Canada but decided 2017 would be the last year for Walk with Reese. So the Stewarts, along with friends, have picked up the torch by hosting a Light the Night Walk on Sept. 15
“We are basically replacing Reese’s walk,” said Stewart. “This is the first time in Pictou County it is a night walk. They called me and asked me if we would host it because when Paul died five years ago, we did a fundraiser for Relay for Life and raised over $17,000 and they really need the funds.”
Stewart said community support has been strong from the early planning stages. The Town of Pictou donated the deCoste Entertainment Centre as the central location and live entertainment is being provided by the Kitchen Criminals. Registration begins at 6 p.m. and the walk follows the Jitney Trail to the Maritime Oddfellows Home and back to the deCoste.
She said the trail will be well lit and the walk should take about 40 minutes. Light the Night Walk is the organization’s premier fundraising event that celebrates and honours cancer survivors. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada provides free information and support services to patients and caregivers. Its goal is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma as well as to improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
Stewart said her brother’s fight with cancer was strong and he would want to help others in the same situation.
Team Paul will also be hosting a live auction at Fat Tony’s Bar and Grill on Aug. 9, at 7 p.m. Donations are being accepted for this and arrangements for collection of donated items can be made by contacting Sharon at 902-485-8532, Donna Murray at 902-485-1823 and Joanne Turple at 902-485-6901.
Participants can register for Light the Night Walk online at LightTheNight.ca/register or by calling 902-422-5999. Teams or individual registration are accepted.