WHEREAS, Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among United States children between infancy and 15 years of age and is detected in more than 16,000 of our country’s young people each and every year; and

WHEREAS, Many children in California are afflicted with cancer and require extraordinary levels of support, education, and services in their struggles against this disease; and

WHEREAS, Psychosocial services, such as those provided by Kids Cancer Connection, American Cancer Fund for Children, and philanthropist Steven Factor Firestein for the last 25 years, have been demonstrated to improve the morale and quality of life of these courageous children and their families; and

WHEREAS, Peer support services have been proven to significantly improve the quality of life for children diagnosed with cancer and their families, including summer and seasonal camps, such as Camp Okizu, Camp Summersault, Seany’s Camp Reach for the Sky, and the World’s Greatest Camp; and

WHEREAS, Treatment and prevention of many types of childhood cancer have not yet been achieved; and

WHEREAS, The fight against cancer, a complex and intractable foe, requires a high level of determination and commitment in order to provide the necessary resources and research; and

WHEREAS, California has many of the world’s finest medical, academic, and commercial institutions, and must continue as a leader in the fight against this terrible disease; and

WHEREAS, Increased public awareness of this major public health problem is a crucial step toward finding solutions; and

WHEREAS, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is an important nationwide tool for raising awareness among governmental officials and the public about the nature and scope of this problem; now, therefore, be it