The Lions Club of Grand Cayman is calling on the community to ‘Be Bold, Go Gold” for childhood cancer awareness month this Monday by wearing the colour gold and making donations to help families battling cancer.
The Club, in a statement on Friday, said it will embark on an initiative for the community to dress down for a cause, which they hope will become an annual event.
Under the theme ‘Be Bold, Go Gold for Childhood Cancer’ the Lions Club said they are hoping to bring about awareness of the plight of the illness and also raise funds to assist families with expenses, which are not normally covered by insurance, such as travel, accommodation and food.
“Childhood pediatric cancers cannot be treated on island, so families have to travel overseas sometimes for months on end. This can put strain on families who are already struggling as in most case a two-income family is reduced to a one income as one parent normally accompany the child,” the release stated.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and is symbolised by a gold ribbon, worn to commemorate the event. It is also one of the global causes of Lions International.
Lions Club of Grand Cayman Childhood Cancer Chairperson Deborah Ebanks, an eight-year breast cancer survivor, is passionate about any Cancer Awareness initiatives and is encouraging the community to support the initiative.
“If we can assist even one family in some small way, it would help ease the additional anxiety of how they are going to do this,” she said, adding she knows the cost of cancer treatment and “it is astronomical”.
Ebanks said she met a local child while in Miami for treatment back in 2016, and she thought to herself, “here I am at 56 years old, I have lived my live and to meet some who was only 15 years old just starting out life made me realise how blessed I am”.
On Monday 30 Sept. the Lions Club of Grand Cayman is asking the community to dress in yellow or gold to show their support in the fight against childhood cancer.
The Lions will be at Fosters Airport from 4-9pm on Monday collecting funds for their Childhood Cancer Initiative.
For a minimum donation of $5, each person will receive a silicone bracelet while supplies last.
Literature on childhood cancer will also be available.
For further information on this and any other Lion initiative, please email the Lions Club of Grand Cayman on [email protected].
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