By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 14: The Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) will light up Kuching Waterfront in gold on Sept 5 as part of a 3km Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk to rally public support for children battling cancer and their families.
The walk, held in conjunction with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, will take participants from Kuching Waterfront to the Darul Hana Bridge, with the public invited to take part for a RM50 donation per person.
According to a media release today, SCCS is targeting 500 participants and hopes to raise at least RM25,000 through its Light It Up Gold Campaign 2026.
The society said while the fundraising target might appear modest compared with the cost of caring for a single cancer patient, every contribution would help sustain essential day-to-day support for children and families throughout their cancer journey.
Funds raised will help support the SCCS Halfway Home at Desa Wira, which provides accommodation for families from outside Kuching whose children are undergoing treatment at hospital.
The facility can accommodate up to 14 children and their caregivers at any one time, with average monthly operating expenses of about RM12,000.
As of July 31, the Halfway Home had supported 28 families, providing a total of 1,580 nights of accommodation.
SCCS said funds from the walk would help cover essential expenses such as electricity, groceries, transportation to and from hospital and other basic necessities for families staying at the facility.
SCCS president Mary Kiu Ai Ling said the Light It Up Gold Campaign was an opportunity for the community to show solidarity while turning that support into meaningful assistance for families affected by childhood cancer.
“Light It Up Gold is about making childhood cancer visible, understood and talked about. When you join the walk, you are not only standing in solidarity with children fighting cancer — you are also helping to create little moments of hope for them and their families,” she said.
She said seemingly small forms of assistance could make a significant difference to families dealing with the challenges of childhood cancer.
“Sometimes, hope can come in the simplest forms. It can be a bag of rice waiting for a family at the Halfway Home, electricity that keeps the lights on, or transportation that helps a child get to the hospital for treatment.
“These may seem like small things, but to a family going through cancer, they mean one less thing for them to worry about,” she said.
SCCS also called on individuals, families, organisations and members of the public to participate in the walk as a show of support for children with cancer.
Members of the public can register or obtain more information by calling or WhatsApping the SCCS general line at 011-3927 6553.
Organisations interested in supporting SCCS through corporate social responsibility initiatives can contact em1@sccs.org.my. — DayakDaily
