MADISON — A 5-kilometer Glow In The Night run/walk gets underway Sunday evening in Madison to raise awareness about leukemia and lymphoma.

The local team, called JulAl, represents the group’s two team captains: Julie Flanagin and Albert Veneziano, who have battled lymphoma. All proceeds will be donated to the Massachusetts chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the chapter closest to Maine, according to event coordinator Kristie LeBlanc.

“The streets of Madison will be all aglow Sunday evening as we celebrate and commemorate those we love who have fought and are fighting cancer,” LeBlanc said Friday. “It is inspiring to see the community rally around this disease in a fun, glowing way.”

The team’s goal is to raise $6,000 for the cause.

“Our 5K is unique in that participants will arrive ‘glowing’ with costumes made of glow sticks, lights and anything that will make them glow,” LeBlanc said.

Julie Flanagan is LeBlanc’s husband’s aunt who was diagnosed with lymphoma in February and underwent six rounds of chemotherapy. Veneziano is a sixth-grade teacher, Madison High School’s girls varsity basketball coach, chairman of the Madison Board of Selectman and a cancer survivor.

The event kicks off on Main Street in front of the Madison Junior High with runners starting at 8 p.m. Sunday, followed by walkers at 8:03 p.m. Madison will be “lit up” during this event, with more than 110 people already registered and at least that many more planning to participate, LeBlanc said.

“Many in our community have been affected by cancer, and the entire community has come together to make this evening a success,” she said.

All Madison fall sports teams will be either walking, helping with set-up or cleanup or helping as crossing guards, she said. Many Madison businesses have donated items and time.

Registered participants will receive a balloon to represent their mission connection: White for survivors, red for support and gold for those walking in memory of a loved one. There also is a limited supply of large stickers that can be added to a costume saying “I’m walking for … .”

Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the new Madison playground on Main Street. Registration costs $10 per person and $25 for a family.

Disc jockey Cory King will provide the music throughout the evening. A silent auction will start at 4:30 p.m. and winners will be announced following the race. There will also be a pie auction at 7 p.m.

Madison cheerleaders have a photo booth from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friends can have their photo taken for $2 in front of a fun backdrop and the photos will be either emailed or texted, according to LeBlanc.

The JulAl team of almost 50 supporters will be walking together Sept. 27 in York in the Light the Night Walk, a fundraising campaign of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which brings families and communities together for blood cancer survivors, as well as those lost to the diseases, and call attention to the importance of finding cures and providing access to treatments for blood cancer patients, LeBlanc said.

Proceeds from Light The Night Walk are intended to help advance the mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. This mission is carried out through funding research for treatments and cures, government advocacy, patient assistance programs, community outreach and education programs.

For more information, visit Leukemia/Lymphoma Awareness Walk Glow in the Night on Facebook or contact Kristie LeBlanc at anksl@beeline-online.net or Albert Veneziano at albert.veneziano@msad59.org.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Doug_Harlow