September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Each September cancer organizations and other organizations raise funds and host fundraisers to bring awareness. 

In the past, the District One community would “go gold” each year to show their support. Nowadays, there may be more kids wearing hats along with gold. Freshman, Paige Melick started her own organization called “Kidz in Lids”. 

Four years ago, when Melick was in 5th grade at Campobello Gramling School, she lost one of her best friends to cancer. After this loss, plus knowing some other friends suffering from the disease, she knew “something had to be done.”  

She proposed her idea to Principal Jeremy Darby, and the plan prospered from there. 

“I wanted to do something rather than just wearing gold. I want to raise money to give back to the families,” Melick said. 

Although this organization primarily revolves around the children paying a dollar to wear a hat, the teachers got to participate as well. 

“We came up with the idea to charge a dollar for students to wear hats and to charge five dollars for teachers to wear jeans,” said Melick. “Lots of children love to wear hats, and teachers love to wear jeans.”

Once they introduced this idea to the faculty, staff, and students, they raised over $1,000 in the first year. 

Thanks to Melick, this fundraiser is taking place every September throughout schools in South Carolina and even some in North Carolina. 

“After every September, the money raised at the schools is given to the Children’s Cancer Partners,” Melick said. “They distribute the money to different families undergoing this traumatic time with their kid.”

She explains that no matter the income of these families, treating cancer is expensive. 

“The cost should be the least of their worries”, said Melick. 

Even though it is the end of September, the Children’s Cancer Partners have lots of other organizations available so that people can continue to show their support. The next time September rolls around, Melick expects to see you in a hat.

“I would love to see each and every one of the students in a hat,” said Melick.