HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260928 September 2026 Childhood Cancer Awareness MonthProclamation
CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
September 2026
WHEREAS, September is recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, providing an opportunity to raise
awareness of childhood cancer, honor the courage and resilience of children and adolescents facing a diagnosis, remember
the young lives lost to this disease, and recognize the families, caregivers, medical professionals, researchers, and advocates
who walk alongside them; and
WHEREAS, childhood cancer encompasses many different diseases including leukemias, brain and central nervous
system tumors, lymphomas, neuroblastomas, kidney tumors, retinoblastoma, and cancers of the bones and soft tissue, which
each present unique challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and recovery; and
WHEREAS, approximately 15,000 children and adolescents under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer each year
in the United States, and although childhood cancer is rare compared with cancer in adults, cancer remains the leading cause
of death from diseases after infancy among children in our nation; and
WHEREAS, tremendous advances in research and treatment have brough hope to countless families, with cancer death
rates among children ages 0 to 14 declining approximately 70 percent from 1970 through 2020; and
WHEREAS, behind every childhood cancer diagnosis is a child whose life extends far beyond their illness; a child with
hopes, dreams, talents, and a future, and every diagnosis affects parents, siblings, loved ones, and caregivers who face
uncertainty while providing love, strength, comfort, and support throughout the treatment and beyond; and
WHEREAS, we honor the children and adolescents who courageously face childhood cancer, celebrate the milestones
that they have fought to reach, hold in our hearts the families grieving the loss of a beloved child, and recognize the
physicians, nurses, researchers, caregivers, advocates, and community members devoted to ensuring that no family faces
childhood cancer alone; and
WHEREAS, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month provides an opportunity to stand in solidarity with children and
families affected by cancer, recognize survivors, honor the memories of those we have lost, increase awareness of the
continuing need for pediatric cancer research and compassionate care, and renew our shared hope for a future in which every
child diagnosed with cancer has the opportunity to live a long healthy, and fulfilling life.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Vicki Veenker, Mayor of the City of Palo Alto, hereby proclaim September 2026 as
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Palo Alto, and encourage our community to increase awareness of
childhood cancer, support affected children and families, recognize the dedicated professionals and advocates working on
their behalf, and join in the continued pursuit of better treatments and cures.
Presented: September 28, 2026
______________________________
Vicki Veenker
Mayor