Local Cancer Survivor selling "Lights of Hope" bags

My name is Beth Trierweiler and I am a lifelong Portland resident and a salivary gland cancer survivor since December 2010. In 2012, I became a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network, Inc.; this is the advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society. (www.fightcancer.org)

Since that time, I’ve been selling Lights of Hope bags annually. Lights of Hope bags can be purchased for $10 each to honor someone currently going through cancer or a survivor of cancer, or to remember someone close to you that you lost to cancer. You can also honor a caregiver!

Historically, these decorated bags would travel with me to Washington, D.C., annually in September, and they would be displayed at various reflecting ponds in a formal ceremony. Like a lot of things, COVID changed the way we acknowledge and showcase these Lights of Hope bags; local ceremonies/events were encouraged!

The past 3 years, I sold over 150 each year to decorate and display at a local ceremony in the high school parking lot. Mother Nature decided to downpour on 2 of those scheduled events and I was able to hold one very small event at the high school in 2021.

This year will be MUCH different!! I have partnered with The Port here in Portland. Merry Haas is amazing to work with. We want you to show us your HOPE, Portland by offering (2) evenings of opportunity for you to purchase and decorate your Lights of Hope (Wed Aug 30th and Thurs Aug 31st - 6p.m. to 8 p.m. both nights). Supplies, including markers/crayons and stickers, will be provided.

These bags will be illuminated in a dedicated ceremony on Saturday, Sept 9th from 8 – 10 p.m. Come help us light up the Port. We will have a moment of silence during this ceremony and are pleased that Andrea Gleason will provide her original music.

I will also choose 20 bags at random that will travel with me to Washington D.C. this year to be displayed at a ceremony there at Constitution Gardens, on September 18th.

Pre-purchasing is recommended for planning purposes only. You can do so by using the following link: Donate To Beth Trierweiler - Fundraising For 2023 Lights of Hope (donordrive.com)

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions you may have at (517) 282-9848 or edtrierweiler@gmail.com

Let’s show our Hope, Portland. There are so here and in our neighboring communities, that have been diagnosed with cancer and I’d love to see us all come together and acknowledge each one!!