Red, white and gold balloons illuminated the dark North Texas skies as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's "Light the Night" walk in Plano.
Each balloon serves as a beacon of awareness.
"Individuals come and they walk either in remembrance of someone who they've lost to blood cancer or in honor of someone who is battling blood cancer," said Kacy Hensley, the director of Light the Night.
Among the hundreds of supporters who walked, there are the survivors like three-year old Cutler Fricke.
Fricke was six-months-old he was diagnosed with leukemia forcing him to spend the rest of his first year of life undergoing treatment.
"It's very difficult being a six month old; he can't talk or tell you when something is hurting," Melanie Fricke, his mother, said.
The Fricke family has participated in the Light the Night walk for the past three years.
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Others were participating in memory of their loved ones.
Tom Yolke had been married to his wife, Sherry, for 48 years. She died last year following a nine-year battle with leukemia.
"When you come out here, there are so many people that are in the same boat as you are -- that are also hurting that are also missing someone and they want to help too," Yoke said.
This year, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars and more than 2,000 people have signed up to walk.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will hold two more walks: Sunday, Oct. 21 in Fort Worth at the West 7th street development and an Oct. 28 walk at the Main Street Garden Park in Dallas. Both events begin at 7 p.m.
NBC 5 is a proud sponsor of the “Light the Night” walks.
