STARRY NIGHT ATLANTA LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Starry Night Atlanta lit up the night for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

The festivities at Centennial Olympic Park began in the late afternoon with a 50-yard dash for the little ones. After they all crossed the finish line, walkers and runners lined up to take the 8.5 kilometer journey, which resulted in 28,000 steps – the number of children currently battling a brain tumor. This route was two loops around a 2.5 mile course for a total of five miles.

Loved ones formed teams to memorialize a child or honor a survivor. In the meantime, there were tents to visit and a band playing music on the stage for anyone who stayed behind.

After everyone had made it all the way around, the awards ceremony began. Medals were given to the top finishers by Kristen Klingshirn from the radio station Q100 and Nikky Williams from Say Yes to the Dress.

A grandmother who has experienced loss delivered a speech, and then the Starry Night Hero Award was announced by Star Ashley Wagner, who has had a tough run of her own. She presented the award to Bert and Stacey Weiss for their work with Burt’s Big Adventure.

Once everyone had been recognized, the lantern lighting ceremony began. There were blue lanterns for deceased children, white for survivors, and yellow for children in treatment. At the end of the night there was a picture painted of how many children are truly struggling with this disease. The grand total was $99,753.

To learn more about the work of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Starry Night, or to make a contribution, go to www.mystarrynight.org.