Governor Hochul Announces New York State Landmarks to Be Lit Yellow in Recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that 15 landmarks and bridges across New York will be illuminated in yellow this evening in recognition of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. The campaign focuses on remembering the young lives lost to pediatric cancer, honoring those families and health care workers battling this disease and recommitting to finding a cure once and for all.

"There's no understating the pain and anguish that confronts a family when a child is diagnosed with cancer," Governor Hochul said. "This month, we are redoubling our efforts to fight pediatric cancer and support those who are impacted by this awful disease. As we illuminate our state landmarks tonight, I urge all New Yorkers to honor those children lost to cancer each year and provide warm encouragement to the many others fighting this awful disease."

New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, "Coping with cancer at any age is hard, but especially when it's a child. During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we reflect on the young lives lost to cancer, comfort those families facing this diagnosis, and honor the health care providers who fight this disease while compassionately caring for these young patients. The Department of Health is raising awareness of and support for cancer prevention policies in our local communities through the Department's Community Cancer Prevention in Action program to help reduce the number of cancer cases, especially pediatric cancers."

These 15 landmarks and bridges will be illuminated in yellow:

1. Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
2. Kosciuszko Bridge
3. The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
4. State Education Building
5. Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
6. Empire State Plaza
7. State Fairgrounds - Main Gate & Expo Center
8. Niagara Falls
9. The "Franklin D. Roosevelt" Mid-Hudson Bridge
10. Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
11. Albany International Airport Gateway
12. The Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex
13. The Lake Placid Olympic Center
14. MTA Long Island Rail Road - East End Gateway at Penn Station
15. Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal

In the United States, about 10,470 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in this year and about 1,050 children will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. While childhood cancer rates have been rising slightly for the past few decades, major treatment advances have allowed about 85 percent of children with a diagnosis to survive for five years or more.