Janvrin: Join USC, other SEC teams to help cure kids’ cancer

Cancer is the No. 1 disease killer amongst children 15 and younger. It doesn’t care if you’re male or female, white or black, rich or poor. It sneaks up on families and preys upon our youth, stealing the innocence of childhood.

Before we start wearing our pink (another worthy cause), let’s remember that September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and go gold to support the kids. The national organization Curing Kids Cancer is excited to have raised more than $7 million for childhood cancer research for targeted therapies, in hopes of providing better cures with fewer side effects. At the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital, we are helping to endow a new pediatric oncologist, allowing the hospital to provide new drugs to patients treated here in our own backyard.

On behalf of Curing Kids Cancer, I would like to thank the Columbia Fire Department for hosting the Pull for Curing Kids Cancer Fire Truck Pull as well The Crescent Olive, Columbia Children’s Theatre, Richland Northeast High School and all of the volunteers who support our fundraisers.

I would also like to thank USC for participating in our September campaign of “Blow the Whistle” on childhood cancer. The USC football team along with six other SEC teams will be sporting our helmet stickers, wristbands and whistles during September games. Want to help? Support the kids by wearing gold, make a donation to Curing Kids Cancer in honor or memory of a child, buy a sticker to wear to your kids’ sporting events, shop at The Crescent Olive on Sept. 10 or host a fundraiser. And help a family who may need a meal, child care or just a hug.

A child once gave me a few pennies as a donation — a few cents that might tip the scale. Let’s continue this fight so we may find a cure in our lifetime.

For more information, go to curingkidscancer.org. Want to help? Email me at gina@curingkidscancer.org.

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 12:16 PM.