LI's Sarah Grace Foundation Urges People To 'Go Gold' For Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

HICKSVILLE, NY — The Sarah Grace Foundation for Children With Cancer has a message for people this September: Go gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

"The buses are rolling and soon children will be returning to their classrooms," said Matthew Weippert, co-founder of the Hicksville cancer charity, in a news release. "We wish everyone a safe year. Children with cancer are unable to attend school due to severely compromised immune
systems, they will be home schooled or tutored in-patient."

The Sarah Grace Foundation spent the summer sending crafts and activities to local pediatric cancer centers and recently provided new backpacks and school supplies to seven pediatric cancer centers as part of their "back to school" program, Weippert said.

The foundation's efforts were made possible through the collection of school supplies by Marcie Vort and her team at Ray Leventhal Clothing in Plainview, the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce, and by a generous donation from the Hicksville-Jericho Rotary Club, Weippert said.

"We are forever grateful to the community and these dedicated teams of volunteers who donate their time to the Sarah Grace mission," Weippert said.

The Sarah Grace Foundation has been supporting children with cancer and their families since 2003, in memory of Sarah Grace Weippert. Based in Hicksville and supporting the Long Island and New York City area, the foundation has since expanded and started working with children’s hospitals in Central Florida as well.

Weippert, Sarah's father, thanked the Build-A-Bear Foundation for a donation that allowed the Sarah Grace Foundation to distribute 200 brand-new furry friends to the children along with cards and gold ribbon pins.

A gold ribbon is the worldwide symbol of childhood cancer awareness, and the Sarah Grace Foundation asked everyone to "Go Gold for Our Children" and wear a gold ribbon during the
month of September.

People can order a ribbon on the foundation website.

"Your donation directly supports the programs the foundation sponsors to support children and their families, such as their hospital Book Carts, Chemo Duck, The Bead Program and more," Weippert said.

Click here to learn more about The Sarah Grace Foundation through a Q&A.

The Sarah Grace Foundation, an all-volunteer charity, has worked with thousands of children and their families to provide numerous programs to help combat the struggles of this horrific disease and provide comfort and support to these children and their families.

"Every year, over 4,000 children die from cancer," Weippert said. "Roughly 46 children are diagnosed every day. We are all too familiar with their struggle, and we’re committed to doing all we can to improve their quality of life."

Over the last year, the foundation continued to support families with reimbursement for grocery expenses, utilities, patient co-pays, funeral expenses as well as toys and games to provide some normalcy to the children who "ask only to be children, not patients in a hospital," Weippert said.

As the weather gets cooler, volunteers at the Sarah Grace Foundation are looking ahead to other programs, including their Halloween Trick or Treat goodie bags; holiday toy drive; and annual Holiday Extravaganza raffle, where people can purchase tickets for a chance to win various prizes every day of the month of November.

"This year has been difficult for everyone, but especially so for families who were already struggling," Weippert said. "Your support means the world to the families we serve, and as we look ahead to the holidays and our plans for 2025 we hope to be able to continue Sarah’s mission that has guided us for more than 20 years. It is a recognition of Sarah’s loss and a tribute to her memory."

For more information on The Sarah Grace Foundation, you may call 516-433-9745 or visit the foundation’s website. Donations or requests for information may be sent to The Sarah Grace Foundation at 17 E. Old Country Road, Unit B, PMB 202, Hicksville, NY 11801.

Anyone who wishes to volunteer or provide support to the foundation may also email matt.weippert@thesarahgracefoundation.org.