People affected by cancer and those fighting for a cure will have the opportunity to participate in the Light the Night Walk sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Saturday in Lawrence.

Freshman Lauren Nelson, Student Activities Council community service coordinator, said the event starts at 6 p.m. at South Park in Lawrence, located between the 1300 and 1100 blocks of Massachusetts Street.

The event, which is similar to Relay for Life, raises money for cancer research, as well as providing information for those who have the disease.

“You’re finding a cure, but you’re also helping those who already have cancer,” Nelson said.

Participants in the event are asked to form teams and raise money. The teams are scheduled to walk down Massachusetts Street and back completing a 2-mile walk,Nelson said.

Students who wish to participate should contact Nelson at [email protected] or visit www.lightthenight.org/mid.

Walking isn’t the only way for students to participate, however. There will be a bake sale from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday in Harter Union lobby sponsored by SAC. All proceeds will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Students can also donate money to participating teams. Some Baker students even helped make the balloons.

“Each participant carries a light up balloon and Baker students made all of those balloons,” Nelson said.

Junior Patti Greenbaum, former SAC community service coordinator, said one of the optional Welcome Week activities this year was to help make the balloons. She said at least 14 students showed up and made around 1,000 balloons.

“It was a good little ice breaker for the freshmen who did attend the service event,” Greenbaum said.

These balloons come in three different colors, Nelson said. Red for supporters, white for survivors and gold in remembrance of people who lost the battle with cancer.

“It’s just really moving to see the survivors out there walking, and you can easily tell who the survivors are,” Nelson said.

Greenbaum said people in charge of the event contacted Director of Student Activities Cassie Gilmore asking if she wanted to gather some Baker participants, who jumped at the opportunity once informed.

Gilmore said students have already put a lot of work into the event, and she hopes Baker will continue to participate in the future.

“I’m really happy that our students are taking the lead to get involved in a really great cause,” Gilmore said.

Greenbaum said the event is a good way for students to get involved in a good cause outside of Baldwin City.

“I think it’s really good to show the support – that you realize how many people it’s affected over the years,” Greenbaum said.