Photo courtesy of Mary Katherine Smith.
Students sporting Give Hope bracelets provided by Hope for Autumn Foundation.
On Sept. 22, Hoover schools will participate in Give Hope Day, which honors Alabama children who are battling cancer.
Childhood cancer is represented with the color gold, and one of the goals of Give Hope Day, organizers said, is to encourage everyone to show their support by wearing gold or yellow from head-to-toe and posting the outfit on social media with #givehope in the caption.
Give Hope Day is all about spreading awareness and reminding those who are afflicted with childhood cancer that they do not fight alone, board member Mary Katherine Smith said. The Hope for Autumn Foundation also believes that awareness leads to funding and funding leads to finding a cure, Smith added, which means that the more attention that this day receives, the more attention is focused towards finding a cure.
Berry Middle School and Bumpus Middle School are playing a football game on the Sept. 21, so both schools are using this as an opportunity to spread Give Hope Day for a week, filled with different competitions and activities that will all culminate at their game.
Hoover High School is also using its football game on Sept. 22 to raise awareness. The Hope for Autumn Foundation will host a tailgate with hot dogs, face painting and Give Hope gold silicone bracelets to pass out to the crowd.
Any other schools that would like to participate can contact Smith at 613-4561 or Amanda Knerr at 954-410-8362, or they can send an email to amandaknerr@hopeforatutumnfoundation.org. The Hope for Autumn Foundation will provide gold bracelets for the entire student population, as well as two yellow ribbons to decorate the front of the school.
Childhood Cancer Awareness month is all of September, and there are a variety of ways to get involved, Smith said. For more information, visit hopeforautumnfoundation.org.