Fundraiser for cancer group shows support

Heather Rawlyk

Friday, Oct. 1, 2004 | 4:22 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

October 2 - 3, 2004

When former Las Vegan Jamie Reno was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer in 1996, he was told he would be fortunate to live five more years.

After a brush with death during chemotherapy and when his cancer returned in 1999, Reno, a correspondent for Newsweek in San Diego and a part-time musician, took a leap of faith and participated in a clinical trial for Bexxar that saved his life.

Now, eight years after he was diagnosed, Reno, 44 and in remission, will join more than 300 Las Vegas Valley residents Thursday in a 2-mile fundraising walk called Light the Night, an event that commemorates lives that have been touched by cancer.

The walk, at 7 p.m. at Hills Park in Las Vegas, is the second fundraising walk held this month in Southern Nevada by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, according to Campaign Director Deann Cline. The first walk took place last Saturday at the Henderson Pavilion.

Light the Night is a nationwide event that originated in Wisconsin in 1994. Since then 63 chapters of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society have joined the tradition.

Participants can register for the walk and eat free food provided by vendors such as Port of Subs beginning at 5 p.m.

Cline said the event is expected to be the largest Light the Night in Las Vegas yet.

The event's dedication starts at 6:30 p.m. and includes a performance by Reno, who will sing a song from his first record "My Side of Paradise" -- a CD produced and recorded by Reno in "celebration of life."

A warm-up will follow, at which point participants will be handed "light-filled" balloons to be carried during the walk, Cline said.

"The (helium) balloons actually have a battery and blinking light inside them, making the balloon actually blink and glow in the dark as they walk," she said.

Cancer patients and survivors will "light the way" with glowing white balloons, and friends and family members of those touched by cancer will show their support with bright red balloons, Cline said.

"It's a very touching and emotional thing to see," she said. "As you can imagine, it's also very beautiful to see."

Besides being "an amazing show of support" for local cancer patients, Light the Night is also an important fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Southern Nevada.

Cline said the chapter predicts it will raise about $90,000 between this month's two events, nearly doubling last year's total of $54,800.

In the weeks before Light the Night, participants do "whatever they can" to raise money to donate to the event, Cline said.

"Some people write letters and e-mails to friends and family asking for donations and others go further than that by holding garage sales or their own little parties to raise money."

The goal for the walk is for each participant to raise at least $100 each, but any donation helps, she said. Walkers who raise $1,000 or more are inducted into the Bright Lights Club and receive a certificate and plaque, she said.

All proceeds will directly benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Southern Nevada. The money will be split up to pay for cancer research and local patient needs in the Las Vegas area.

Everyone who participates will receive a copy of Reno's "All American Music" CD, which features several of his musical heroes, including Charlie Daniels, Randy Meisner of the Eagles, Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers.

The son of legendary Las Vegas weatherman and television personality Walt Reno, Jamie Reno, a 1978 Clark High School graduate, said the music is a second life for him.

"I have always been a singer-songwriter. When I got cancer and we had a child, I got more serious about music," he said. "It's kind of my other life."

For more information about the event, visit the Web site at lightthenight.org."