Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is observed every September and the Fight Like Mason Foundation helps lead the charge locally.
The foundation, led by Iain and Chantelle Macri, conducted a flag raising ceremony last Thursday morning at the Libro Centre in Amherstburg. It was one of several flag raising ceremonies held last week by the Fight Like Mason Foundation, with others being performed in LaSalle and Windsor.
Iain said they were pleased to see everyone come together and support the cause. People can “Go Gold” this month and that includes getting a sign to promote the cause.
In addition to fundraising, Iain commented that it was an event to raise awareness as well.
“Thank you to the Town of Amherstburg for agreeing to do a flag raising year after year,” said Iain. “Thank you for believing in our cause.”
The Macri family noted that thousands still have to deal with the news that their child has cancer and have to discover strength they didn’t know they had. There are over 40 types of children’s cancer and children locally have to often travel to Toronto, London, or the United States for treatment.
“We’re hoping flying this flag acts as a beacon of hope to the community of Amherstburg and beyond,” he said. The Macri family founded the Fight Like Mason Foundation in memory of their son Mason Macri, who passed away from cancer June 27, 2016 at the young age of four-years-old. He had been diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer, when he was two-years-old and has parents have continued his fight ever since.
The Fight Like Mason Foundation’s “Go Gold” initiative is called that because gold is the colour representative of childhood cancer.
Helping to raise the Fight Like Mason flag every year is someone impacted by childhood cancer. This year, it was six-year-old Harper Drouillard. Harper is a survivor of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare form of cancer. She was impacted in 2022 but six weeks after diagnosis, it miraculously had disappeared.
The Drouillard family is hosting a “Heroes for Histio” fundraiser Sept. 28 at Malden Park in Windsor from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
“It’s an honour for us to come out each and every year and fly this flag,” said Mayor Michael Prue. “We believe very strongly in the cause and what you are doing. It is a very difficult thing to hear your child has cancer.”
Prue added he hopes progress has been made to eliminate childhood cancer, what he referred to as “a terrible scourge.”
For more information on the Fight Like Mason Foundation and its fundraising initiatives, visit www.fightlikemason.org.
Fight Like Mason flag raised to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
By Ron Giofu
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