What can YOU do to support childhood cancer?

Today is Saturday, September 1, 2012. Today begins the fast and furious 30 days of National Childhood Cancer Awareness month in the United States.

We, the childhood cancer community, have been furiously preparing for these brief 30 days. During this 30 day period, we will be advocating our buns off to the public at large.

A few facts:

• Childhood cancer is the #1 disease killer of our children in the US. 
• Every weekday in the United States, 46 children will be diagnosed with cancer.
• The ONLY risk fact for childhood cancer is being a child.
• Three out of every five children diagnosed with cancer suffer from at least one long-term or late onset side effect.

As you become AWARE of childhood cancer and how it affects our kiddos, families and communities, the question remains: 

What can YOU do to support childhood cancer?

For the 30 days of September, here are 30 really easy things you can do to support families like mine, kiddos like our son Gregory and the next 46 families that hear the words: "Your child has cancer."

1. Know that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and the awareness color is GOLD. Tell your friends. Post a status to Facebook. Shoot out a tweet.
2. Donate whole blood, platelets, blood products. Our kids need a lot of transfusions to keep them alive. 
3. Find your local chapter of American Childhood Cancer Organization. They support families of kids diagnosed with cancer. List of affiliates here.
4. Hold a lemonade stand and donate the proceeds to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. Next time you are at Toys R Us, you can also make a donation at the register.
5. Donate art supplies, new toys, itunes gift cards, gift certificates for local quick serve restaurants, books, bright pillow cases, etc to your local hospital that treats kids. 
6. Hold a bake sale to benefit Cookies For Kids Cancer! 
7. Create A Pepper via Chili's Restaurant online to let people know how to support childhood cancer. 
8. Go EAT at Chili's on September 24th. This day's proceeds benefit St Jude Children's Hospital.
9. Join People Against Childhood Cancer (PAC2). 'Like' them on Facebook. Keep current on what's happening in the childhood cancer world. 
10. Ever wanted to try being bald? Shave your noggin and raise fund for life saving research via St Baldrick's Foundation. The largest private funder of childhood cancer research in the US. 
11. Sign the petition at The Truth 365, demanding that the National Cancer Institute allocate more than a mere 4% to childhood cancer research.
12. Know where your donations are spent when supporting the 'big' cancer foundations. You will be surprised. 
13. Find a Childhood Cancer Awareness Event in YOUR area and GO! Check it out, meet amazing people and be inspired. Don't have one in your area? Put something together. Big or small. Does not matter. 
14. Interested in politics? Get to know Kids V Cancer. 'Like' them on Facebook. Some amazing things have already happened and there is more to do. 
15. Your local Ronald McDonald House needs toiletries, groceries, cleaning supplies and kitchen basics. During your next Costco trip, pick up a box or two and drop it by.
16. Are you an athlete or aspire to exercise more? Run for kids with cancer with Rally Foundation!
17. Sponsor a pair of Peach's Neet Feet for a childhood cancer kiddo. THE grooviest kicks anywhere! Don't forget to 'like' them on Facebook, too. Madison and her team will blow you away with their heArt.
18. Get yourself the hippest Fedora you've ever seen. Proceeds benefit St Baldrick's Foundation.
19. Get to know 46 Mommas Shave for The Brave. Make a donation to support their $1 Million goal.
20. Support the silent and often left behind SuperSibs during Sibtember. 
21. Decided to hold your own event? Fabulous! Contact PAC2 at: info@peopleagainstchildhoodcancer.org and get that event on THE MAP! 
22. In memory of the children who have died, take a moment and reach out to a friend who has lost a child. Does not matter the nature of the death. Speak their child's name, share a memory and REMEMBER that their child LIVED.
23. Take the B+ Foundation's survey and find out how much you really know about childhood cancer. 
24. Know the facts about childhood cancer. 
25. Understand that survivors face their own unique post treatment issues. One is never 'done' with childhood cancer. 
26. Wear a GOLD ribbon. Share what it represents. 
27. Donate airline mileage points to Make-A-Wish.
28. Get swabbed. Save a life. YOU could be a potential bone marrow match for a kiddo's family desperately waiting for a glimmer of hope.
29. Know someone in treatment? Mow a lawn, provide a meal, do some laundry, offer to take care of a sibling, reach out. Make a phone call, send an email, drop a text. They are isolated and it hurts.
30. Share this list. Far and wide. We, the childhood cancer community, will not quit. Cancer doesn't care, cancer doesn't discriminate. Remember: The only risk for childhood cancer is being a kid.

Loving every last one of you. Fiercely. *RAWR*

In honor, in memory, in defense.

MindiTheMagnificent

~Momcologist

To quote St Baldrick's Foundation: