Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated nationally in September—so this month, Phoenix Children’s Hospital is pushing to paint the town gold in support of its goal of raising $1 million with the Go Gold campaign. 

 

"SEPTEMBER IS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. We want the entire Valley to Go Gold for our sickest patients—those fighting for their very lives. With the help of our corporate partners, individual donors and the public at large, we can bring focus to pediatric cancer and provide the support our patients need and deserve,” says Kristy Litten, coordinator for Phoenix Children’sHospital Foundation.

Every year, Phoenix Children’s Hospital diagnoses more than 300 patients ranging from infancy to 18 years old with either cancer or a blood disorder. “Although we have an 80 percent survival rate, which is great, it’s not enough,” says Litten. “How great would it be if Phoenix was the place where we possibly discover getting rid of childhood cancer?”

Reaching the $1 million fundraising goal would help Phoenix Children’s build a new Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, providing additional space and improving safety in a state-of-the-art facility staffed by world-renowned talent. “It is not just the child who is going through cancer or a blood disorder,” says Litten. “The whole family is going through this. Families make a lot of sacrifices and this could help bring resources necessary to them to make the process less stressful.”

The community can get involved by visiting retailers and corporate partner fundraisers that are supporting the Go Gold campaign (see sidebar). From locally-owned shops like State Forty Eight, which is designing a T-shirt specifically for Go Gold, to corporate partners like Arizona Diamondbacks, Coulter on Camelback and Papa John’s, who will be holding campaigns, and local shopping centers that will be lighting up gold, the Go Gold cause will be felt throughout the Valley.

“By painting the town gold we are giving hope to the patients and to the families that they are going to have bright futures,” says Litten. “And that going gold here in Phoenix shows we can really do something for childhood cancer and research as well.” 

Retailers and corporate partners supporting the Go Gold campaign:

CityScape

CleanFreak Carwash

Tempe Marketplace

Talking Stick Resort

State Forty Eight

Coulter on Camelback

The Orchard PHX

Papa John’s Pizza

Miracle Mile Deli

The Vig

The Ross Team – NOVA HomeLoans

Scottsdale Quarter

Desert Ridge Marketplace

Marriott Hotels

The Arizona Diamondbacks

Harkins Theatres

Arizona Central Credit Union

Sprint

AT&T

Yelp

McDonough Corporation

Sauce Pizza & Wine

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET INVOLVED, GO TO GOGOLD4PCH.ORG, OR TEXT "GOLD" TO 50555 TO DONATE $10 TO THE CENTER FOR CANCER AND BLOOD DISORDERS AT PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.