A child is diagnosed with cancer every three-and-a-half minutes and only a staggering 4 percent of U.S. federal funding is earmarked for childhood cancer research.
That is why Phoenix Children’s Hospital is asking the Community to Go Gold this September during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month – with the goal of raising $1 million to support the Hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
During the entire month, the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation is encouraging local businesses and the community at large to help child patients like Bruce, who was diagnosed with cancer in September of last year.
“Our greatest hope would be that we could wake up tomorrow and pediatric cancer would not exist as a whole,” says Bruce’s mom, Christine Frye. “Our hope is that there’s another side to this and Bruce can receive treatment and get better and we can live normal lives. Phoenix Children’s is our greatest hope.”
Bruce is only one of the up to 95 patients treated each day at the center. More than 300 children and teens are newly-diagnosed with cancer at Phoenix Children’s each year–a number that continues to climb.
The Foundation is putting an all call out to every business in the Phoenix metro area to sponsor the Go Gold movement.
“The funds and awareness raised through the month of September will have a direct impact on children diagnosed with cancer by supporting ongoing research and innovative treatments,” says Steve Schnall, senior vice president and chief development officer of Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Many businesses will also be lighting up their locations in gold throughout the month to increase awareness. The Foundation is looking for corporate sponsors willing to pledge dollars in exchange for exposure with Go Gold. Smaller businesses are encouraged to sell an item with a portion of the proceeds going to Go Gold or develop other creative ways to raise awareness and involve their customers, clients and patrons.
Businesses that have already committed to join the fight include Arizona Diamondbacks, Harkins Theatres, Uber, IHOP, Marriott, Papa John’s, Park West Mall, Red Development, Scottsdale Quarter, State Forty Eight, Luci’s Urban Concepts, The Vig, Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill, Tuft & Needle, Miracle Mile Deli, Vestar, ACE Hardware, CenturyLink, Arizona United Soccer Club, Landings Credit Union, Arizona Central Credit Union, Nextiva, Upward Projects, Metrocenter, Larry Miller Toyota and Yelp.
In the United States, cancer kills more children than any other disease. One in five of those diagnosed with pediatric cancer will not win this battle.
“More than 80 percent of children diagnosed with cancer will survive it. That’s not good enough,” says Schnall. “With the community’s support we can work together to end childhood cancer”.
For more information on PCHF and to find out how you can get involved in the #GoGold campaign visit GoGold4PCH.org.
