On December 5, 2015, two Nipmuc DECA students will be hosting Light For Loved Ones, a night of healing for the community.
Samantha Taddei and Ashley Sewell of Nipmuc Regional High School have organized the event for their DECA project as a way to raise awareness and funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as well as a way to bring the community together for a night of healing. “This horrible illness has taken so many lives, and we all understand how hard that can be,” said Samantha.
Both Samantha and Ashley lost a grandmother to lung cancer and chose the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute because that is where their grandmothers were both treated.
They decided on a night of healing for the community because they found most of their peers lives have been affected by cancer in some way. After polling 82 students at Nipmuc they discovered 89 percent of those who participated in the poll were affected by cancer in some way. “It would really help the community,” said Ashley.
When brain storming on a project they wanted to bring the community together at night for lights, similar Boston’s Christmas Tree Lighting. Ashley said, “I remembered seeing lanterns in the sky while down the Cape and thought that seemed like a cool idea.” The two then decided on the Light For Loves Ones event where the community will come together and release sky lanterns together in honor of those who have been touched by cancer.
“We hope the community embraces the event and it’s something we can continue to do each year,” said Ashley and Samantha agreed.
Light for Loved Ones will be held on December 5, 2015 at Kiwanis Beach in Upton located at the end of Kiwanis Beach Road. Family and friends will gather together at 5 p.m. Each family can purchase a lantern to release for $5 (limit one lantern per family – lanterns must be provided by the venue at the request of the Upton Fire Department). Event tickets are $10 per person, children under 12 are free. All proceeds go to Dana-Farber.
If you would like to register for the event and purchase a lantern it’s a two-step process. Visit Light For Loves Ones event page and click the MAKE A GIFT BUTTON and then make the donation for the total amount of your event tickets and lantern. After you have made your donation email lightforlovedones2015@gmail.com with your family name for check-in, the number of event tickets purchased, and if you purchased a lantern who the lantern is in honor of.
Tickets will be on sale through December 1 and lanterns through November 30. Lanterns will not be available for purchase during the event.
For those who will not be able to attend Samantha and Ashley will be placing donation jars at various locations in the community or you can make a donation at the event page link.
Contact Samantha or Ashley for additional information at lightforlovedones2015@gmail.com.
The lanterns being used are environmentally friendly and approved by the Upton Fire Department.
Ashley Sewell and Samantha Taddei
UPTON DAILY 
While I appreciate your enthusiasm, this is a horrible idea. Paper lanterns are NOT the way to go, the environmental impact is horrible http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/jul/31/sky-lanterns
Hi Nate, the girls did mention during the interview they are using environmentally friendly lanterns.
Read the article there are no environmentally friendly sky lanterns
Environmentally safe lanterns use fireproof string rather than wire, the woman who wrote the article purchased lanterns made with wire which were falsely advertised as environmentally safe.
Cool idea ladies…good luck!