Eleven-year-old pediatric cancer advocate raises $ 12,000 for three different charities

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – In an effort to raise awareness about pediatric cancer, Katelyn Irwin, an 11-year-old resident of Tallahassee, launched her Be Bold, Go Gold campaign which has spread to schools in Leon County.

The goal was to raise as much money as possible to ensure that as few young people as possible were affected by this deadly disease.

Eleven-year-old Katelyn Irwin has always been passionate about giving back and it started with the battle with cancer her little brother faced.

“When I was three years old, my little brother was diagnosed with leukemia, cancer of the blood. He was in treatment for two years and now he has been cancer free for six years, ”said Katelyn Irwin, founder of Go Gold, Be Bold.

And when Irwin realized schools rarely talked about pediatric cancer, she wanted to make a difference.

“Every year at school they have a Breast Cancer Awareness Day, so I started the Golden Day,” Irwin explained.

From there, Irwin’s campaign continued to grow and expand and even created partnerships with other organizations with similar goals.

“The fact that we can kind of be partners in the extremes of the cancer situation and everything in between has really been special,” said Betsy Fisher of the Marshal Fisher AYA Cancer Fund.

Irwin, with the help of Moore Bass Consulting and the Bannerman Dunkin ‘Donuts, has managed to raise over $ 12,000. Funds that can make a significant contribution to the fight against pediatric cancer.

“For example, my son, two of the many chemotherapy drugs he took, two or three of them were chemotherapy drugs that were given in the 1960s, 70s, 80s,” Fisher shared. “Things haven’t changed. The protocols in which he participated date back several decades.

Fisher said she appreciated what Irwin was able to accomplish.

“Once again, I am so proud of Katelyn. I’ve taught high school in this community for a long time and I’ve worked with a lot of great kids and she’s fair, she understands, ”said Fisher.

Irwin says she’s just happy with the great support she’s received.

“To me, it’s amazing that people are caring for other children who are battling cancer because without people like them, children would have died. Which is very tragic, ”shared Irwin.

Fight to save as many children as possible.

The funds raised are donated to the Hang Tough Foundation, the Marshal Fisher AYA Cancer Fund and UF Health Shands and Trent’s Touch Leadership.

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