Blood Cancer United - Connecticut & Albany & Eastern NY

10/07/2026

Recruit 3 team members, raise $300, between now and October 8th at 11:59 p.m. and earn a free personalized walk route sign to be displayed on walk day at Light The Night Westchester-Fairfield!
 
Honor a loved one, celebrate a survivor, remember someone special or share your reason for lighting the night. Every dollar raised helps advance our mission and creates a lasting impact.

10/05/2026

Year after year, runners return to Boston. 💜
From Hopkinton to Boylston Street, it's easy to see why. This iconic race brings runners together for an unforgettable 26.2 miles.
Take on Boston or any World Marathon Major with Team In Training and make every mile count for people affected by blood cancer.
Your marathon story starts now. Register today! 👉 https://bcutd.org/4ytj4eb

09/30/2026

This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re celebrating the incredible local dedication of Westchester-Fairfield Red Lantern & Drone Show Presenting Sponsor, Regeneron. Over the last year, we have been proud to partner with Regeneron as they advance research in blood cancer and bring light to those who need it most.

Highlights include Andres Sirulnik setting the stage at Westchester-Fairfield Light The Night, Kaniel Cassady inspiring the next group of Light The Night leaders, and Virginie Delwart presenting our Mission Awards at our Visionaries of the Year Grande Finale. Thank you, Regeneron!

09/28/2026

Let’s connect!🔗 https://bcutd.org/NY117

Living Well with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is a free blood cancer education session built for patients, families, and caregivers to hear about the latest treatment advances, shared decision making with your healthcare team and how to be an empowered participant in your care, importance of nutrition, learn about local community resources for cancer patients and meet others who understand your experience.

Thank you to our national sponsors: AbbVie, AstraZeneca US, Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, GSK, Merck

Please join us for an informative program designed to deepen your understanding of living with, through, and beyond non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

09/28/2026

We are thrilled to share that Regeneron is returning as the 2026 Westchester-Fairfield Light The Night Presenting Sponsor of The Red Lantern & Drone Show: United in Community.

The red lantern brings our community together—each light telling a story of strength, hope, and connection, and lighting the way toward cures and greater access for all patients. We’re proud to partner with Regeneron who is working to transform cancer care through innovative science and research.

By leading this experience, Regeneron helps shine that light throughout the community. Championed locally by Andres Sirulnik and Kaniel Cassady, Regeneron continues to be a powerful partner to Blood Cancer United. Blood Cancer United works toward the goal of curing blood cancer and improving quality of life for patients and their families.
We hope you will join Regeneron on October 17th at Playland Park for a night to celebrate, honor, and remember all those impacted by blood cancer.

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

Survivor Spotlight: Austin Jasienski 💛

As we honor Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we're proud to spotlight one of our very own survivors, Austin Jasienski, our Student Visionaries of the Year Senior Campaign Development Manager.

At just 19 years old, Austin was diagnosed with Stage 2B Hodgkin's Lymphoma on July 22, 2011, after a small lump on her neck wouldn't go away. What seemed like a routine doctor visit quickly became life-changing news. Following testing, her diagnosis was confirmed, and she began an intensive treatment journey that included six rounds of chemotherapy and 12 rounds of radiation.

Later that year, Austin was declared cancer-free.

While cancer brought tremendous challenges, it also gave Austin a renewed perspective and a daily reminder to embrace life to the fullest. She credits Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) with helping save her life and inspiring her commitment to the mission.

In a full-circle moment, Austin officially joined Blood Cancer United exactly 14 years to the date of her diagnosis. Today, she works tirelessly to help advance research, support patients and families, and move us closer to a world without blood cancer.

This November, Austin will celebrate an incredible milestone: 15 years in remission.

Thank you, Austin, for sharing your story and for the impact you make every day. Your strength, resilience, and dedication inspire us all. 💛

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

09/23/2026

This is Vivian ❤️

When she was just four months old, her family received the news that she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Although initially reaching remission, her cancer returned just months later. ​Then a breakthrough treatment called CAR T-cell therapy gave her another chance, and today Vivian is thriving.

Her family is passionate about sharing her story and advocating for continued investment in research that can help more children facing blood cancer.​ 🔬​

To share her story, we’re working with our partners , to highlight Vivian as one of our Honored Heroes for the 2026 campaign! She will be featured throughout September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, at Urban Air Adventure Park locations nationwide as part of Sock it To Cancer and Unleashed Brands will have commemorative socks that will benefit The Dare to Dream Program. ✨​🧦

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

09/16/2026

A week ago today, we kicked off our Executive Challenge! The Executive Challenge is a fundraising competition that brings together corporate executives to raise critical funds in support of Blood Cancer United's mission.

A special thank you to everyone who joined us for the kickoff and helped make the event such a success. We'd also like to extend our gratitude to Steve Schunur for capturing the moment and helping us preserve these special memories. We can't wait to see the impact our Executive Challenge participants will make in the months ahead! 💙

09/14/2026

What a fantastic Mastercard Light The Night team kickoff last week! Linda Kirkpatrick, Chief Services Officer at Mastercard, shared a few words about why it’s important for colleagues to get involved in the fight against blood cancer. And Michael Zuccaro, VP of Consumer Marketing Operations, shared his own personal story fighting leukemia. The day was a powerful reminder about why we do this work. Let’s go Team Mastercard!

09/11/2026

This is George ❤️

He enjoys reading, building with Legos, and spending time with his older sister, Marilyn. ​

After experiencing unexplained bruising and fatigue, George was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at just 8 years old. After spending more than five months in the hospital undergoing treatment, he is now thriving in remission. ​

In partnership with , George is one of our Honored Heroes for the 2026 campaign! George will be featured throughout September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, at Urban Air Adventure Park locations nationwide as part of Sock it To Cancer and Unleashed Brands will have commemorative socks that will benefit our organization and the families we support. ​✨🧦