Blood Cancer United - Long Island

10/17/2026

Tonight we Light The Night!

After months of hard work and dedicated fundraising, we're finally coming together to shine light against the darkness of cancer. Let's make tonight unforgettable as we honor, remember, and fight for a cure!

10/16/2026

Meet Owen 💙

Owen is 10 years old and living life to the fullest after being diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. We are deeply honored to recognize Owen as our 2026 Honored Hero for Light The Night, alongside his incredible family: his mom, Julie; dad, Tim; and twin brother, Drew.

Thank you to everyone who continues to show your support for Owen and his family. His story reminds us exactly why we Light The Night: to bring light to the darkness of cancer and hope to every family impacted by blood cancer.

Join us tomorrow night at Light The Night in honor of Owen and so many others whose lives have been touched by blood cancer. Register today: https://lightthenight.org/events/long-island-0

10/15/2026

Meet the Simon Family, our 2026 Everlight Lantern Holders. 💛

Anthony Sr., Anthony Jr., and Nicole walk in memory of their beloved wife and mother, Ann, who lost her battle with AML in 2022.

Through their team, Annie’s Angels, the Simon Family continues to honor Ann’s memory by being a light for those battling blood cancer and the families navigating it alongside them. They’re a beautiful reminder of how kindness, compassion, and community can truly make a difference.

Join the Simon Family and our Light The Night community this Saturday at Eisenhower Park. Register today and be a light for someone affected by blood cancer: https://lightthenight.org/events/long-island-0

10/14/2026

Meet Julie our 2026 Red Lantern Speaker❤️

Julie is the mom of our 2026 Honored Hero, Owen. As a family, they have experienced firsthand the impact of blood cancer and the importance of coming together to support patients, families and research.

In Julie’s own words, “Our partnership with Blood Cancer United is not simply about raising money or bringing awareness to this devastating disease. It is about ending it.”

Join Julie, Owen and our Light The Night community on October 17 at Eisenhower Park. Register today and help us light the night for a future without blood cancer at the link in our bio.

10/13/2026

Meet Sarah our 2026 Gold Lantern Speaker💛

Sarah participates in Light The Night in memory of her Great Aunt Sue, who passed away from lymphoma in 2018. She created Suzie’s Angels to honor loved ones affected by cancer, support families facing blood cancer, and help advance the search for a cure.

Join Sarah in honoring loved ones we carry with us. Register for Light The Night this Saturday at Eisenhower Park by clicking here: https://lightthenight.org/events/long-island-0

10/12/2026

Meet Mark our 2026 White Lantern Speaker. 💙

19 years ago Mark developed a nagging cough that would not go away, after an x-ray and CT scan he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He has been participating in Light The Night since 2010. When Mark is not serving as an Associate Professor of physical therapy you can find him being a fierce advocate for Blood Cancer United or traveling the world with his wonderful wife.

We Light The Night in honor of survivors like Mark.

Join us this Saturday at Eisenhower Park by registering today: https://lightthenight.org/events/long-island-0

10/10/2026

The countdown is ON—just ONE WEEK until we light up the darkness of cancer at Eisenhower Park! We’re so excited to introduce the inspiring co-hosts who will kick off our opening ceremony.

Meet Adam & Jesse! Adam will carry a red lantern in honor of his son, while Jesse will carry a white lantern as a survivor. Join them on October 17th for an unforgettable evening filled with hope, remembrance, and the power of community.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this meaningful night—there’s still time to register!

https://lightthenight.org/events/long-island-0

10/07/2026

We’re excited to welcome Melissa A. Matassa to the Visionaries of the Year Leadership Committee!

As a trusted business leader and longtime insurance professional, Melissa brings more than 30 years of experience in sales, service, and underwriting to her work as a GEICO insurance agent and owner of an independent agency serving clients across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Known for her commitment to exceptional customer service, Melissa has built a highly respected agency recognized both nationally and locally, earning distinctions including GEICO Agency of the Year and GEICO Exclusive Agency of the Month.

Beyond her professional success, Melissa is deeply committed to giving back. An active member of the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce, she leads philanthropic efforts supporting organizations such as Cancer Care, the Long Island Coalition Against Bullying, and local veteran programs. Her passion for strengthening communities and helping others makes her a valuable addition to our leadership team. She has also been a longtime supporter of Blood Cancer United’s mission, generously championing efforts to improve the lives of patients and families impacted by blood cancers.

Melissa’s passion for community engagement, philanthropy, and creating meaningful impact makes her a wonderful addition to our leadership team. Please join us in welcoming her as we work together toward a world without blood cancers.

10/06/2026

We’re excited to welcome Heidi Goldstein back for her second season on the Visionaries of the Year Leadership Committee!

A highly accomplished executive partner and custom clothier with the Tom James Company, Heidi has spent more than 30 years helping professionals build confidence through custom-tailored wardrobes. Based in the company’s Long Island showroom in Roslyn Heights, she has earned a loyal following and is affectionately known by clients as the “Custom Clothing Queen of Long Island” and the “Suitlady” for her expertise, personalized service, and commitment to excellence.

Beyond her professional success, Heidi is a passionate advocate for making a difference in her community. Her continued involvement with Visionaries of the Year reflects her dedication to the Blood Cancer United mission and her desire to help create a brighter future for patients and families affected by blood cancers.

We are grateful for Heidi’s leadership, enthusiasm, and ongoing commitment to our cause, and we look forward to another incredible season together. Please join us in welcoming her back to the Visionaries of the Year Leadership Committee!

10/03/2026

We’re officially two weeks away from bringing light to the darkness of cancer at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater at Eisenhower Park! We can’t wait to raise our lanterns high, celebrate survivors, remember those we’ve lost, and honor everyone touched by blood cancer.

Not registered yet? Click here: https://lightthenight.org/events/long-island-0

09/26/2026

Valvoline and Blood Cancer United are Driving for a Dream with a special livery on William Byron’s No. 24 for the upcoming race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Designed by Palmer, a 12-year-old blood cancer hero and artist, the colorful beach themed livery represents joy, strength, and resilience.

Take a look at the behind-the-scenes design process of how Emily Butler Lue and Harris Lue of LUE Creative brought Palmer’s vision to life.

09/25/2026

Be Kind to Your Mind 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️

Patients, survivors, and caregivers can order a Be Kind to Your Mind wellness box, created with mental well-being in mind. We’re also featured in the September Elephants and Tea September Issue, sharing stories and resources from the blood cancer community.

Check it out and order your box today!
https://bit.ly/4Axg81j

09/25/2026

09/25/2026

"Over 65 years of life, I’ve walked through many difficult seasons, and what I know for certain is this: in every single one, God has been with me, and He has seen me through. But when I got married in February 2023, life felt full again, full of joy, full of plans, full of promise. At my niece’s wedding, while line dancing, I felt a sudden 'pop' in my rib. I never imagined that moment would lead to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM), just three months after marrying my sweet husband, Ray.

I had been enjoying retirement after working since I was 14. I survived shingles in 2020 and an emergency appendectomy that same year. I had been savoring time with my five beautiful grandchildren. Then came 2023, a year I expected to spend traveling and building new memories with the love of my life. Instead, pain, muscle spasms, compression fractures, and rib fractures brought everything to a halt.

Looking back, I realized I had been tired and hurting for a long time but had pushed through it, as I always do. My pain tolerance is high, but this was beyond anything I’d ever known. I thought nothing could hurt worse than labor... then shingles came. And then cancer said, ‘Let me show you what pain really is.’

A stem cell transplant on December 29, 2023.

In June 2024, I got the call: I am MRD-negative and still MRD-negative over a year later. God is great! They may say myeloma is incurable, but I know this: nothing is too hard for God. If He did it before, He can do it again.”

For Dawn, "more" meant more time with her new husband, Ray. Just three months after they were married, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Instead of the travel and adventures they had planned, they faced a blood cancer diagnosis together.

Today, Dawn is MRD-negative and continuing to make memories with her family, her grandchildren, and the life she fought so hard to keep living.

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and we are working toward a future filled with more. Help us raise more awareness and work toward a future where everyone affected by blood cancer has more time to love, more time to dream, and more time to write the next chapter of their story.

We're working toward more time, more hope, and more tomorrows. Learn more about our resources: https://bcutd.org/3Ufxqzz

09/25/2026

More and more support, guidance, and peace of mind.​

​This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we want every patient and family to know about a free resource that does not get talked about enough. ​

​Open enrollment is coming, and finding the right health insurance plan for your specific needs may lower your out-of-pocket costs. Our Medical Debt Case Managers provide personalized, one-on-one health insurance evaluations to help prevent future medical debt.​

​Because more and more awareness can lead to more and more action.

Preventing medical debt starts with getting on the right insurance plan. Contact us to learn more 👇
https://bcutd.org/3TLuwT8

09/24/2026

Meet Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

A recent National Academy of Medicine electee Abdel-Wahab’s project studies a mutation in the SRSF2 gene. It shows up in 25% of people with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), 50% of people with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and 25% of people with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) over age 65. Understanding what's happening at the molecular level with genes like SRSF2 could mean one new drug works across all of these types of blood cancer.

“Finding funding for this project at this early step can be challenging, but will be critical in bringing this treatment closer to patients," says Abdel-Wahab.

This project is part of the more than 250 academic research projects supported through Blood Cancer United's multi-year grants portfolio, all aimed at getting closer to better treatment options.

Learn more ⤵️
https://bcutd.org/3TTQzqR

09/24/2026

Blood Cancer United and the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation have announced six new research grants as part of their extended HCL2030 partnership. Nearly $7 million will be invested over the next five years in research focused on better understanding what drives hairy cell leukemia and finding better therapies for patients, particularly those with variant disease or relapsed classic hairy cell leukemia.

This , learn more and read the full announcement ⤵️
https://bcutd.org/4hndl1X

09/23/2026

Our Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP) partners work directly with innovative biotech companies to move the most promising blood cancer research from the lab into clinical trials, faster. TAP looks to change the standard of care while addressing high unmet medical needs.

Royalty Pharma's commitment to TAP is helping power that progress. With this gift of $7.5M, it marks the largest corporate donor donation that our TAP program has received.

Together, that means more treatments and more time for every patient.

Learn more about this impact on TAP ⬇️
https://bcutd.org/4yIm6ee

09/23/2026

Pass it along. 💌

If this is your family right now, you are not alone. The Dare to Dream Project is here for every family navigating a pediatric blood cancer with free resources and personalized support every step of the way. Learn more ⤵️
https://bcutd.org/4yWfnxr

09/22/2026

Your brain called. It wants a checklist. 🧠☎️

If your mental checklist is running overtime, you're not alone. As a young adult with blood cancer, there can be a lot to carry—appointments, treatment, relationships, work, and everything in between. It's okay to prioritize your mental health, ask for support, and take things one step at a time. Find free mental health resources for young adults here👇
https://bcutd.org/3TmqQXL