Students and staff across the Smithtown Central School District wore gold this September to support the Lace Up for Kids campaign, an initiative of the nonprofit Solving Kids’ Cancer. The campaign coincided with National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, drawing attention to the urgent need for treatments for the most aggressive pediatric cancers.
At Accompsett Elementary School, the effort took a creative turn as students participated in a coin drive under the slogan “changing kids’ lives.” Principal Tim Hellmuth set the tone by donning bright gold sneakers while students dropped handfuls of coins into a large bucket. By the campaign’s end, their donations added up to an impressive $1,909.90.
“It was inspiring to watch our students rally together for such an important cause,” Hellmuth said. “They understood that every coin they gave was helping other kids just like them.”
Solving Kids’ Cancer was founded by two fathers who each lost a child to the disease. Their mission is to find, fund, and advocate for breakthrough treatments aimed at curing pediatric cancers with the lowest survival rates. The organization partners with leading researchers and medical institutions both in the U.S. and abroad, investing in projects with the greatest potential to change outcomes for children.
Rather than funding broad-based cancer research, Solving Kids’ Cancer focuses specifically on innovative approaches such as immunotherapy, cancer vaccines, and next-generation drug therapies. Its guiding principle, “Every Kid Deserves to Grow Up,” reflects a commitment to giving families more hope where options are most limited.
For the students at Accompsett Elementary, that mission translated into a tangible act of kindness. Their gold-colored spirit, enthusiastic participation, and generous donations highlighted the power of a community coming together to support children in need—and to bring the possibility of cures a little closer, one shining gold step at a time.