Turning the World Gold in September
We are just one week into 2021’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and there are some very bright spots - literally! - that we want to share and celebrate. Gold is the awareness color for childhood cancer, and we’re keeping an eye out for it this month on buildings, monuments, airports, bridges, sports teams, businesses, and social media. If you’re spotting gold illuminations and ribbons in your hometown, tag us on Twitter or Instagram so we can see and share!
Niagara Falls photographer Stuart Hendrie captured and shared these gorgeous images of Niagara Falls lit up gold last night:
We especially love to see government buildings turn gold, as we hope the visible support symbolizes a commitment to support health policy that will help our kids live longer, healthier lives. Thanks to leaders like Maryland’s Governor Hogan for lighting the Maryland Government House gold last night:
Thanks also to elected officials who have issued proclamations declaring this month Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, including President Joe Biden. The White House proclamation reads in part: “During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we honor the young lives taken too soon, as well as the growing number of young cancer survivors, some of whom may face serious health challenges throughout their lifetimes. We recognize the remarkable progress made in treatment and survivorship, and rededicate ourselves to the development of more effective therapies so that all children have the chance to live long and healthy lives.”
In major sports news, Major League Baseball players wore gold ribbons on their jerseys and gold wristbands on September 1st to kick off the month.
Major League Soccer, meanwhile, is holding its 8th annual Kick Childhood Cancer awareness campaign in support of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). You can support this campaign by tweeting a message of hope with the hashtag #KickChildhoodCancer. For every tweet with that hashtag during the month of September, Continental Tire will donate $1 to COG, up to $50,000.
Stadiums are turning gold, too, like the Barclay’s Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets:
What can you do?
It’s not too late to take action to turn your own corner of the world gold this month. Visit CAC2’s Gold Awareness Project for ideas on ways big and small that you can go gold in September, from wearing gold shoelaces to organizing a gold awareness event at your local school or in your community.
Online, you can turn your social media profile gold and support the community-wide Cancel Childhood Cancer campaign. Follow this link to add the gold frame to your profile picture on Facebook. While you’re at it, be sure your name is among the 12,300+ people who have signed the Cancel Childhood Cancer petition!
If you or your family has been impacted by childhood cancer, please take a moment to share your story with us - so we can share it with the world.
Finally, please consider making a donation to support our advocacy work on behalf of children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors. When you make a gift of $25 or more, we will send you a set of notecards that features artwork from one of our 2021 College Scholars and leukemia survivor, Moira Lindner. Learn more and donate.