Mayors from Pike County’s four municipalities came together Wednesday afternoon to proclaim the month of September, “Childhood Cancer Awareness Month” in Pike County.

Jason A. Reeves, Troy; Jimmy Ramage, Brundidge, Lisa Culpepper, Banks; and Jack Waller, Goshen signed individual proclamations at the Pike County Economic Development office encouraging Pike County residents to support the September “Go for the Gold” fundraising and awareness campaign spearheaded by Marla and Troy Johnson and Tony and Ryann May. Both couples have lost a child to cancer.

Marla Johnson said she learned about the Go for the Gold campaign through a friend who started the campaign in Dothan.

“Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer and more than 40,000 children undergo treatment for cancer each year but only four percent of the funds raised by the national cancer society goes to research into childhood cancer,” Johnson said. “Thus the hash tag, ‘Want More than Four.’ September is designated as a time to bring greater awareness to childhood cancer and to raise funds for the fight against childhood cancer. We need ‘more than four.’”

Johnson said “pink” has become the distinguishing color in the fight against breast cancer and hopes are that gold will become the poster color for childhood cancer.

Jennifer C. Garrett, who is coordinating the ‘Go for the Gold” campaign in Pike County said the funds raised locally through the ‘Go for the Gold’ campaign will support the Hadley May Foundation and be use to the benefit of local families with children who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Tony May expressed appreciation, on behalf of the May and Johnson families, for the mayor’s support of the Pike County “Go for Gold’ campaign and to the Pike County community for its support.

“It meant a lot to all of us to have the support of our hometowns and the entire county,” he said. “It pulled at the strings of our hearts and we’ll never forget.”

May said bringing greater awareness to childhood cancer should translate into more dollars being donated for research. Research saves lives.

“Children should not have to fight cancer alone. The Go for the Gold campaign is a way for others to join the children in their fight against cancer.”

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves said the funds raised in Pike County will help fund the Hadley May Foundation and benefit local families whose children have been diagnosed with cancer.

“The cost of fighting cancer can be tremendous and this fund assists local families during times of great concern and need,” he said. “We should all give our support to ‘Go for Gold.’”

Brundidge Mayor Jimmy Ramage joined Reeves in asking for all Pike Countians to join in the fight against childhood cancer.

“It’s true no child should have to fight cancer alone,” he said.

Goshen Mayor Jack Waller said his town came together in support of and love for little E.B. Johnson and her family during her fight against cancer

“Now is the time for us to come together as a community and fight for children that can’t fight for themselves,” he said.

Banks Mayor Lisa Culpepper said the collective heart of Banks broke over the loss of little Hadley May. “But all we could do was pray and then mourn,” she said. “We need to do all we can so that other little children and their families and communities don’t have to suffer losses like that.”