JACKSON — A nonprofit grassroots movement in Jackson is looking to “go for the gold” in promoting pediatric cancer awareness with gold ribbons and a message.
The Chase Ryan Olsen Foundation has been working to assemble hundreds of gold ribbons ahead of Jackson Day on Sept. 1, when volunteers will be handing out the ribbons for attendees to display outside their homes.
“Like pink ribbons bring awareness to breast cancer and a puzzle piece brings awareness to autism, I am hopeful the gold ribbons and bows will bring the same sort of awareness to childhood cancer,” founder Maureen Olsen said.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 11,630 children younger than 14 years of age will be diagnosed with cancer by the end of this year.
Just over 1,300 children in that same age range will die from cancer — most from leukemia.
“I don’t think people realize the epidemic that childhood cancer has become,” Olsen said.
Gov. Chris Christie and many New Jersey municipalities have declared September to be Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Olsen’s son, Chase, 9, died from a malignant rhabdoid tumor in November 2009. The foundation, which was created last year, serves as a way to help others in her son’s name.
Since its formation, the group has worked to raise awareness and to fund a scholarship for students who have been affected by cancer.
“When [we] gave away our first scholarship, it was to a high school senior who lost part of her leg to cancer. The next year it was to someone whose sibling lost a battle with cancer, followed by a child who lost their mother to cancer,” Olsen said. “In my daughter’s graduating class there were five kids who had some form of cancer.”
Over the last few weeks, volunteers have been meeting on Wednesday evenings at Town Hall to make the gold ribbons. Among the approximately 30 people who regularly participated was Mayor Michael Reina.
For Reina, the effort to place childhood onset cancer awareness into the forefront of the community became a personal matter after his granddaughter, Angelina, 3, was diagnosed with leukemia.
“Angelina actually brought [cancer awareness] closer to home,” Reina said. “Now … I have even more reason to do it.”
While the gold ribbons will be given out during Jackson Day, the support for the foundation’s gold ribbons will not stop there.
The American Youth Football League’s players will have gold ribbon stickers on their helmets during September and cheerleaders will wear a gold ribbon on their uniforms.
Other local organizations have also pledged support.
“When you see gold, especially in September, we hope everyone will think about childhood cancer and start to bring a renewed awareness to it,” Olsen said. “Gold, as in the metal, has always been considered precious. It is why the color was chosen for this cause. Nothing is as precious as our children.”