Rachelle Mintern’s daughter, Taylor Garrett, was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was four. Ms Mintern attended her first Light the Night in Coffs Harbour.  

“After Taylor finished her treatment, it was something Wagga didn’t have that I could bring,” she said. 

Rachelle Mintern, host of Wagga’s Light the Night, said it’s about bringing together people affected by blood cancer to support each other. 

“This is our second year,” she said.

“People in the community were very supportive and for people have been afffected it’s quite emotional.

“It’s really good for them to see everybody come together.” 

The Light the Night event includes an evening lantern ceremony and walk which will see everyone attending shine a coloured lantern relevant to their journey with blood cancer.

Ms Mintern said all the colours have meaning. 

“Gold, to remember a lost loved one, blue, to show support, and white, to signify their own blood cancer journey,” she said. 

“It’s also a chance to raise vital funds for urgently needed blood cancer research. Donations go straight to the foundation.” 

Light the Night is on October 6 at the Victory Memorial Gardens, from 5.30pm. In October, over 35,000 people across Australia will come together to ‘Light Up’ the sky. 

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