H-ton Key Club Goes Gold to Fight Pediatric Cancer

The Huntington High School Key Club is “going gold” for Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. Club members are encouraging their classmates and teachers to wear gold this Friday to let families know they aren’t alone in the fight against cancer.

“This initiative was started by English teacher Aimee Antorino, whose daughter Rachel tragically passed away from acute myeloid leukemia five years ago,” Key Club President Charlotte Gordon said. “The Huntington Key Club family feels an incredibly strong connection to Ms. Antorino. We work alongside her for the annual dance-a-thon and K-Factor, where all proceeds go toward her organization, Rachel’s Dance for the Cure and the Stony Brook Children’s Hospital pediatric oncology unit.”

Joining Ms. Gordon on the Key Club’s executive board are Vice President Jack Ruthkowski, Treasurer Giovanna Lanfranco and Secretary Brooke Parks. Emma Polinsky is the public relations coordinator and Samantha Koepele is the club’s attendance officer. Teachers Gina Colica and Kelly Kaiser are the organization’s faculty advisors.

“Unfortunately, less than five percent of government cancer funding goes toward researching pediatric cancer treatments,” Ms. Gordon said. “To show our support, we are asking everyone at Huntington High School to wear gold this Friday, September 29. Key Club will be hosting a bake sale that morning with gold-themed baked goods and we will also be handing out yellow ribbon stickers to students.”

The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2023 there will be an estimated 9,910 new cases of cancer diagnosed in children between birth and 14 years of age and that 1,040 will die from the disease. The most common types of childhood cancer are leukemias, brain and other central nervous system tumors and lymphomas.

The largest funder of pediatric cancer research is the federal government, but the fight against childhood cancer receives only four percent of the annual research budget. The figure amounts to less than $3 per child, according to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.