America's Fastest-Growing Fundraising Walk Gets a Boost from Booz Allen Employees
Firm's partnership with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society started as a tribute to a friend.
In September and October 2005, Booz Allen Hamilton employees across the nation participated in almost 30 Light the Night (LTN) Walks to raise $35,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Chairman & CEO Ralph Shrader has been National Capital Area Corporate Walk Chair for two years. "Booz Allen has been deeply affected by leukemia and lymphoma," Dr. Shrader wrote in a September 2005 letter to colleagues. "Gratefully, a number of our co-workers are survivors. But other colleagues and family members have lost their battles." Booz Allen's partnership with LLS started in 2003, three years after Senior Vice President John Newman—an employee of the firm for over 30 years—died from complications from leukemia. The Newman Auditorium in McLean is named in John's honor. "Dr. Shrader's involvement in the Walks has helped us get the word out and attract even more people to these events," says Mary Margaret Deoudes, LTN manager of LLS. LTN Walks raise funds for research into cures for blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and myeloma. Funds also improve the quality of life for patients and their families and support advocacy, community outreach, and education programs. With an average increase of 20 to 25% in the funds donated each year, LTN is the fastest-growing walk in the country. In 2004, the Walks raised $25 million nationally for LLS; this year, they expect to reach $29 million. In addition to the $35,000 raised by Booz Allen employee teams, the firm contributed $10,000 in corporate sponsorship in 2005. And the results of all this support have been very encouraging: Says Deoudes, "Cure rates have increased from 6% in the 1960s to 86% today." LLS also funded research for the breakthrough drug Gleevac, still one of the most substantial advancements in blood cancer therapies. With only one daily pill, Gleevac can keep most patients' cancers in remission. Some resistance to the drug has developed, however, and a portion of the donations to LLS are helping to find a solution. Hitting the Pavement, the Trails—and the Virtual Landscape, Too LTN Walks are both moving and dramatic. Held in the evening, participants carry illuminated balloons—white balloons for survivors and red for supporters—to celebrate and commemorate those affected by all cancers. The Walks take place in a variety of settings, including parks, golf courses, fairgrounds, and colleges—anywhere that a large group can gather—and are easy strolls of less than three miles, which allows individuals of all ages and physical abilities to participate. Depending on the size of the community, participants average from several hundred to 5,000 or more. This year, Booz Allen hosted its first virtual LTN Walk with the Flex Work Forum Team, which raised funds through a virtual auction. Participating offices included: With more than 250 Walks across the U.S. and Canada, LLS anticipates 175,000 participants in 2005—LTN's seventh year. story posted November 17, 2005
