Go Gold in September

Today marks the first day of childhood cancer awareness month, and as one of our board members pointed out - Chicken Mcnuggets are trending but nothing on going gold for childhood cancer. President Obama decided NOT to light the white house gold despite the request from more than 25K people who signed the petition. Of course, everyone is talking about it in the childhood cancer community, but we have to get this awareness to break out of the box and into the hearts of the billions of people who are otherwise immune to the cause.  We have 30 days to make this trend #gogold4kids.  Please feel free to save the following images and use them as your profile or cover images throughout the month.  My hope is that some day - with all we are doing to spread awareness, help families and fund research - there will no longer be a "childhood cancer community."

September is a big month for the cause, but it is also one of the scariest months for me, personally.  I have been dreading September and October for over 10 months.  As I mentioned, this September is a reminder that Ty will never get on the school bus with the other kids.  The 17th of September and the 17th of October will mark the first anniversary of the two worst days of my life.  I don't know how I will get through these next two months, and because of that, I haven't had the energy to do the things I wanted to do on the foundation side to support childhood cancer awareness month.  Nor did I commit to attending CureFest in Washington, DC, something I regret a little this morning as I see pictures being posted by all of my friends in the childhood cancer community.  Regardless, for my own mental health I needed to keep to myself for a while.  I need to focus on the fragmented, painful and downright crazy things that are swirling around in my head for now.

That being said, we do have a lot of news on the foundation side despite my efforts to keep a low profile.  (1) We have the TYathlon/5K coming up on the 21st - and it is not to late to register.  Simply REGISTER HERE for either the 5K or the Triathlon via active.com.   It is going to be a great day with fun family activities following the race.  Lou will be competing in the Triathlon, I will be running the 5K and Gavin will be participating in the kids' obstacle course.  Please join us!

(2) We have been selling hundreds of pairs of "SuperTy.org" gold shoelaces to sports teams across the country so that kids can support the cause on the field (email us at info@superty.org if you would like a copy of the order form/minimum purchase 10 pairs at $5/pair). 

 

(3) We initiated a very simple social media campaign to try and get attention from the celebrity contingency - particularly my favorite rockstar, P!nk.  Wouldn't it be funny, and wonderfully effective, if she decided to change her name to GOLD for the month of September?  Check out the website we created to see how you can join the effort to try and get her attention in a noninvasive, totally harmless way www.pinkgoesgold.wordpress.com.  If nothing comes of it, at least we tried.  But imagine she did somehow hear our cries and get on board for the cause?  The awareness she could bring would be monumental.  And as a mom herself, I just know she would fall in love with these kids and use her incredible influence to help paint the world GOLD.  We just need to get her attention somehow!  Whenever you feel like it throughout the month, please tweet at her, shoot her a FB message or post the site to your wall to get others on board.  There were about 4,000 visits to the website the first day we tweeted it out/posted to FB, but we need to times that by 100 somehow if it is ever going to trend in any way.  Please help make that happen :)

(4) I created a new line of charitable jewelry.  It's called PRET*TY and of course, Ty put the "T-Y" in PRET*TY because he is forever my inspiration.  100% of the proceeds go directly to fund childhood cancer research through the foundation.  We charm the bracelets by hand at the TLC office, and thanks to our incredible volunteers we are ready to start selling!  Please check it out, the storefront is now available at www.prettystore.org.  If you have any ideas on how we can make this effort bigger and get the bracelets on the shelves of department stores, etc., please feel free to email us at info@superty.org because if there's one thing I've learned since starting the foundation - it's that I need help, guidance, and access to resources.  I appreciate any ideas, advice or connections you might have :)

 



The Story Behind PRET*TY
I always found it so difficult to accept how little awareness – and charitable merchandise – is available to support charities for childhood cancer.  Think about all of the pink merchandise that cover the shelves to support breast cancer - especially in October.  But have you ever seen gold merchandise for childhood cancer?  I have wanted to do something to support the “go gold” initiative, and then it hit me when I looked down at my wrist.  I simply don’t like these silicone bracelets... but I wear them to honor kids with cancer.  There needed to be a prettier alternative!

 

PRET*TY is a new line of gold accessories that were inspired by Ty and all children battling cancer.  It is the perfect gift that gives back because 100% of the net proceeds are redirected to fund innovative pediatric cancer research through the Ty Louis Campbell (TLC) Foundation. 

Now that I see all of our September activities listed in one place, I am actually patting myself on the back.  Despite my efforts to lay low and enjoy Gavin while he is home between camp and preschool (school doesn't start until Sept. 10), we have still accomplished a lot!  I am especially looking forward to seeing many of you at the TYathlon, and I can't wait for the bracelets to start selling like mad!  Because I know they will.  They are too pret*ty to resist :)  www.prettystore.org

All my love to you all.  Thank you for your love and support.  XOXO.