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Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Light the Night, Birmingham American Family Care charity — Light the Night Walk. Photo via Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

I’ve visited my nearest American Family Care on Montclair Road umpteen times through the years. Yet only recently did I learn that my go-to doc is headquartered right here in Birmingham. As it turns out, this local company fosters a work culture that gives back big.

Fun fact: the American Family Care Foundation supports more than 20 charities each year.

Light the Night (and Pie Your Boss)

Birmingham, Alabama, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Light the Night, charity, pie face — A Birmingham AFC employee pies her boss … for the best of reasons. Photo submitted

This year alone, Birmingham AFC employees raised $17,578.34 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk. While they celebrated with ice cream socials, clothing drives and an epic game of Pie Your Boss, this annual tradition is about a whole lot more.

Just ask Connie Henry, Assistant Director of Claims Processing at American Family Care Corporate in Birmingham. Her mother was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at age 58, and her family history is full of various types of leukemia and lymphoma.

Birmingham, Alabama, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Light the Night, American Family Care charity, cancer victim — Connie Henry’s mother, lost far too soon to acute myeloid leukemia. Photo submitted

For Henry, the moment of Light the Night when the festivities end and everyone gathers to walk for those lost to, or fighting, blood cancers is “like going to church.” This year, she alone raised $1,472 for the campaign and her team raised $4,600.

“I get involved because I feel like I’m still doing something for my mother. And I pray that, through research, this is a battle neither I nor my children have to fight without a cure.”
Henry

Birmingham, Alabama, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Light the Night Walk, charity — Light the Night Walk in Birmingham. Photo submitted

I asked Henry what led to her team’s fundraising success. She credits three things:

Passion: She’s fired up for the cause because it’s close to her heart.
Pennies: Her team collects money year round. If you find a penny in the parking lot, put it in the change jar because it could be the penny that changes the world.
Competition: Friendly competition between departments ups the ante. Just know that Henry will always, always park in the coveted space designated for the employee who raises the most money.

Fact: the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has invested more than $1.2 billion in cancer research and helped more than 55,000 patients afford treatment.

Birmingham, Alabama, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Light the Night, charity, carnival — Carnival Fundraising Event to wrap up Light the Night campaign at AFC’s Corporate office. Photo submitted

Give for Life Next Time You Visit

Want to get in on the action? American Family Care is launching a fundraising campaign called “Life is Why We Give” with the American Heart Association. Talk about a great way to get a jump on American Heart Month this February.

Anyone visiting one of American Family Care’s 200-plus clinics nationwide can donate to the American Heart Association to receive a paper heart. You can also donate here.

About American Family Care

Dr. Bruce Irwin of Birmingham founded American Family Care in 1982. Since then, AFC has become a national leader of urgent care, accessible primary care and occupational medicine.

Each clinic features a high-tech, high-touch approach, offering digital x-rays, on-site lab testing, state-of-the-art diagnostics and electronic medical records. Clinics are open daily with extended hours, and no appointments are necessary.

With more than 200 clinics and 600 in-network physicians, AFC cares for for nearly 3 million patients a year.

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