Cancer touches everyone. On October 5, Centric’s Chicago Practice fought back against the disease — especially blood cancers like leukemia — by participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) annual Light The Night event.
Since 2016, LLS has helped fund more than 70 percent of FDA-approved blood cancer treatments.
“I lost my brother-in-law to leukemia 19 years ago in October, and our Chicago team has been impacted and lost family members to the disease, too,” said Chicago Practice Vice President Bill Chamberlain. “In fact, a close work colleague, Jim McCarthy, fought and defeated a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma several years ago, and it was a tough fight.”
Chamberlain connected to his LLS staffing partner, Caroline Ryan, through one of his neighbors. Caroline invited him to join the executive committee leading a walk in his North Shore community of Glenview. The event was scheduled to take a few days before the 19th anniversary of Chamberlain’s loss of his brother-in-law, so he was eager to honor his memory and celebrate his life. Chamberlain quickly began sharing news of the walk with his Chicago-area colleagues and inviting them to support the cause.
“There was significant interest in the event, as the quest to cure blood cancer resonates deeply with many in Centric’s Chicago community — whether due to personal experiences or the impact on their families,” said Chicago Senior Consultant Allison Mesh, who helped Chamberlain coordinate the event. “It was encouraging to see our colleagues’ strong support through donations and signing up to walk, because our participation ties directly to Centric’s core value of giving back for the greater good.”
Seventeen people—employees and their family members—gathered at Glenview’s Gallery Park for the family-friendly walk. Each participant carried a lantern, shining their lights against the darkness of cancer. Including all cash contributions, Centric raised about $8,400 to help LLS support people living with blood cancers, perform advocacy work, and fund research.
“It was great seeing all the support from my colleagues and community for an organization near and dear to my heart,” said walker and Chicago Practice Lead Eddie Francl.
“This was a good chance for us to get even more involved in our community,” Chamberlain added. “It was a great team-building project, and I know it touched a lot of people. I’m so grateful for our employees and for Centric’s support of community events like Light The Night.”