Greenwich Marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month With Flag-Raising

GREENWICH, CT — With a proclamation and a ceremonial flag-raising at Town Hall on Thursday, Greenwich marked Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and urged residents to recognize the impact pediatric cancers have on families within the community.

First Selectman Fred Camillo was joined by Greenwich resident and founder of The Golden Lights Foundation Gregg Pauletti for the brief ceremony.

The statistics on childhood cancer are staggering. Camillo noted that cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children. Roughly 47 kids get diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States, and over 17,000 are diagnosed each year.

Additionally, there are currently only six drug therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration that have been developed exclusively for use in children.

On the funding side, only 4 percent of the National Cancer Institute's budget is allocated for childhood cancer research.

Greenwich usually marks Rare Disease Day each year in February, but Camillo said after speaking with Pauletti and John Hopper, president of the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation and co-chair of the NORD Rare Cancer Coalition, they realized more needed to be done.

Last year, the town recognized Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, but this was the first year Greenwich held an official flag-raising. Rare Cancer Day will also be recognized in Greenwich on Sept. 30.

"Cancer affects everybody of all ages. It's something people deal with 365 days a year," Camillo said. "[Childhood cancer] is a lot more common than people think. Everybody is touched by it. This brings it home, and this is homegrown. It makes it extra special to support Gregg and his family."

When Pauletti's daughter, Willa, was just over 3 years old, she complained of stomach pain one night. A few days later, she was still experiencing discomfort.

Pauletti and his wife didn't think anything of it, but they took Willa to see a doctor. The Paulettis soon found themselves at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Willa had neuroblastoma, a form of pediatric cancer, which has only about 800 diagnoses per year. About 25 percent of all cancers are rare, and every pediatric cancer case is rare.

Luckily, Willa, now 8, is in complete remission.

In 2020, the Pauletti family founded The Golden Lights Foundation to help other families and children affected by cancer.

The 501(c)3 charity aims to find and fund cutting-edge pediatric cancer research to eliminate barriers that prevent potential life-changing treatments from being used on the children who need them.

The foundation also serves as a helping hand for families navigating the most difficult times of their lives.

"It's a family affair. The child is obviously taking the brunt, but the whole family has to come together to do it and really the family is a community," Pauletti said.

The foundation's logo is a star made up of golden ribbons. The golden ribbon has become an international symbol for pediatric cancer.

"If you have ever seen a family, or specifically a child who is going through this horrible event, little kids themselves are often kind of a beacon of light and give strength to everyone around them and help them keep going," Pauletti said. "We wanted, as a foundation, to both be the light for other people, knowing there's an end here and we can find a cure, but also in acknowledgment of these beautiful little faces that really give you the strength to push through."

To date, the foundation has raised $250,000.

Pauletti said the support from Camillo and the town has meant a lot, and that recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at the highest level of town government is powerful.

"There are lots of children who get diagnosed every year in town. They can see this acknowledgment from the town, and they know that they can contact someone in town and they can get some help," Pauletti added.

The Golden Lights Foundation is gearing up for its second annual half marathon and 5K/fun run fundraiser, which is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at Greenwich Point on Sept. 17.

Last year, about 500 people participated. The flag from Thursday's ceremony will be brought over to Greenwich Point for all to see.

To donate, register and sign up for the half marathon, 5K or fun run, or to volunteer at the event, click here.