HANCEVILLE, Ala. – September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Wallace State’s #GoldTogether Relay For Life Team is hoping the chance to win one year of Duchess Bakery donuts will help fundraising efforts for childhood cancer research.
Wallace State’s Creative and Content Services Coordinator Gail Crutchfield said, “The Wallace State Relay For Life Team is the official #GoldTogether team. Gold Together, the campaign through the American Cancer Society, is where donations raised by those teams go specifically to support childhood cancer research, education, prevention efforts and support services for those patients. Last year was our first year as the official #GoldTogether team.”
Wallace State chose to be the #GoldTogether team for a special reason.
“A child of one of our Wallace State faculty was diagnosed a few years ago with cancer,” said Crutchfield. “He’s doing much better now, and we’re thankful for that but wanted to do more for all the children and families affected by the disease.”
Due to COVID-19, Cullman County Relay For Life was unable to have its main fundraising events, and charitable donations have been significantly impacted.
Crutchfield explained, “The American Cancer Society has cut expenses drastically and worked hard to maintain programs for research and support services. It’s been hard. They say that the effect will impact generations due to lack of funding.”
She added that all charities have been impacted across the spectrum, saying, “We are not alone in that.”
According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, an estimated 15,780 children aged 0-19 are diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year. Twenty percent of those children will not survive cancer. Cancer remains the number one cause of death by disease for children in the United States.
The #GoldTogether movement partnered with the American Cancer Society in 2019. The movement was the vision of Cole Eicher, a pediatric brain cancer survivor. His dream? “Let’s work together to have a greater impact, more options, and better outcomes for kids fighting cancer.” Since launching his campaign in 2014, it has grown to more than 125 teams nationally. Gold is the color for childhood cancer awareness.
Said Crutchfield, “Every week, 200 children are told they have cancer in the United States. You gotta think, that’s 200 children and at least 200 parents, grandparents and brothers and sisters who are also dealing with it. It’s a ripple effect just like any family that has a diagnosis in their family, there’s a ripple effect and I don’t know if that ripple is bigger with children or not, but it just shouldn’t happen.”
She continued, “In the back of my mind, when I realized the Duchess Bakery would be reopening again, I thought it would be a great fundraiser to have somebody win a year’s worth of Duchess Bakery donuts.”
The fundraiser was launched last week, and the drawing will be held Sept. 30. A $5 donation will earn one chance to win, and a $20 donation will earn six chances to win. The winner will receive a punch card to use to get one dozen glazed donuts each month for a year. Donations can be made online at https://bit.ly/2FnECDM by Sept. 29 or by mail before Sept. 25 to Wallace State Relay For Life, 801 Main St. NW, Hanceville, AL 35077. Make checks payable Wallace State. All proceeds support childhood cancer research and services.
Find out more at www.facebook.com/Wallace-State-Community-College-Relay-For-Life-110241600807816.
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