Smithtown Goes Gold For Childhood Cancer

SMITHTOWN, NY — The Town of Smithtown went gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Town officials joined with the Daniela Conte Foundation, Thomas Scully Foundation, Smithtown Children's Foundation, Smithtown Central School District, local parent advocate Amy Beach, families and friends on Sept. 7 for the annual ‘Go Gold’ Tree lighting ceremony at Town Hall.

The tree at Town Hall was adorned in gold bows, bearing the names of local children who are actively fighting cancer, in remission or have since died. The lights and ribbons were donated to the town courtesy of Katia Conte, founder of the Daniela Conte foundation in 2021.

Each year, new bows with the names of local kids are added. Additionally, giant gold awareness ribbons, donated courtesy of the Thomas Scully Foundation, are on display at the Smithtown Bull Monument, at Town Hall, the Parks Department and at the Highway Department through September. Local mom and advocate Amy Beach was on hand to distribute gold laces as a part of the “Lace up for Kids” partnership, in honor of her son Dylan, with the Smithtown Central School District.

“The Month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month," Supervisor Edward Wehrheim stated. "But as many of the families here with us [Sept. 7] will tell you, cancer affects us all 24/7… year round. Tonight we kick off a year of awareness. However… We are also here as one community, one family, to let every parent, or caregiver, who has a child diagnosed with cancer know something…You are not alone. We are here to fight for you, cry with you, laugh with you, pray for you and share our love with you. Thanks to organizations like the Daniela Conte Foundation, the Thomas Scully Foundation, the Smithtown Children's Foundation and the work that Parent Advocates like Amy Beach do, there are local resources and an entire community of people who are ready to help. Whether it’s financial assistance, help dealing with insurance companies, hospital administrations, a hand getting dinner on the table or an extra hand around the house… You will not go through this alone. That is our promise to you.”

Each year, the Town of Smithtown raises awareness for childhood cancers in the month of September through various activities and events. These efforts are intended to help fund and raise awareness, find breakthroughs and fill gaps in the treatment landscape, and direct research to the areas with the greatest need.

This year, the call for action in addition to advocacy and awareness rang clear from Amy Beach, who spoke on behalf of Katia Conte and Debbie Scully.

“Pediatric Cancer has to be funded by nationwide and local groups," Katia Conte stated. "We run, walk, shave our heads, play golf, host gala’s and have community involvement to raise research dollars. Leave it up to the parents… As of today, hospitals are still using 30-year-old toxic treatments on children that cause a lifetime of medical problems for survivors. Kids deserve the very best in cures, treatments and protocols that science can offer and that means investing in research… When you think about why it’s so important to go gold in September, then think about the statistics and how underfunded childhood cancer really is. And be truly thankful if you haven’t had to endure the worst thing a parent can go through.”

The Daniela Conte Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded by Anthony and Katia Conte of Dix Hills to honor the life of their daughter, Daniela Marie Conte. The foundation's mission is dedicated to fund research, find a cure for new, promising and less toxic treatments for childhood cancer with a particular interest in Rhabdomyosarcoma.

The Thomas Scully Foundation's mission is to bring "A Little Bit of Happiness" to children with cancer today, while supporting a cure for tomorrow. The Thomas Scully Foundation is fulfilling this mission with "A Little Bit of Happiness" care packages that bring comfort and joy to the children stuck in local New York hospitals. Additionally, the Thomas Scully Foundation supports a cure for tomorrow by providing "A Little Bit of Hope'' Grants to families seeking innovative treatment for their child. These grants assist families who are New York residents for the time being, although the foundation hopes to expand this in the future.