Local Family Brings "Lights of Hope Across America" to Sudbury

This September, communities will honor lives affected by cancer when Lights of Hope Across America takes place Sept. 12 on the front porches, kitchen tables and lawns of advocates nationwide. The Herting family of Sudbury, including their two young children and father, Josh, who is a cancer survivor, will be honoring friends and neighbors who have battled this deadly disease with a display of dedicated luminary bags at their home, and they are inviting the community to take part in supporting the cause.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) volunteers will not gather for the annual Lights of Hope ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where tens of thousands of bags are decorated and adorned with the names of cancer survivors and those lost to this horrible disease. Instead, advocates will celebrate 10 years of hope at home as part of a larger virtual event.

The Herting family is halfway to their goal of raising $5,000 for this event, and calling on their community for support.

“Due to current COVID-19 related fundraising declines, the missions of the American Cancer Society and ACS CAN are being threatened in ways never faced before. We must double down our efforts if we want to make a difference in advancing research and cures. As a cancer survivor, I'm committed to raising funds to support this lifesaving cause” said Josh Herting.

"Across the country, cancer patients and survivors are having their care and treatment impacted by COVID-19. More than ever, they need the support and resources of organizations like the American Cancer Society and ACS CAN," said Herting, "but we must raise the funds necessary to continue to be there for patients, survivors, and caregivers."

“With donations nationwide dropping sharply due to this pandemic, the organizations’ ability to fund cancer research and enact public policy that provides critical access to care is facing a massive threat,” said Herting, “but if our community comes together and supports this cause with even a $10 donation, we can help reverse this trend and continue to save lives.”

The Herting family are fundraising for Lights of Hope so ACS CAN may continue its mission advocating for everyone affected by cancer, including the nearly 37,000 who will receive a cancer diagnosis this year in Massachusetts. ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, works with lawmakers to pass policies that help prevent cancer and ensure those who are diagnosed with the disease have access to the care they need, as well as make cancer research funding a top priority at the state and federal level

“Lights of Hope sends an important message to lawmakers,” said Herting. “We don’t need to travel to make sure the voices of cancer patients and survivors are home. My family and I look forward to getting our neighbors, family members and friends in Sudbury involved in this heartfelt event.”

For every $10 donation, the Herting family will decorate and display a lighted bag honoring a cancer patient, survivor, caregiver, or recognizing the memory of a loved one lost to the disease. The luminary bags will be on display to the public at their home in Sudbury on September 12.

For details on how to dedicate a Lights of Hope bag, please contact Amber Herting at amber.herting@cancer.org or visit http://action.fightcancer.org/goto/andersonevangeline.