Three Lessons about NYC from the Empire State Building’s Refusal to Light Gold for Childhood Cancer
The capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest meaning and significance.
~ Pablo Casals ~
Since I live on the opposite side of the country from New York City, my impressions of the city are mainly what I see and what I hear. It’s funny how humans establish pre-conceived ideas and formulate judgments about what we really know nothing about. We notice when things are different than what we are used to. I can still feel the odd stares from people Melinda and I would encounter the further we traveled from California on our Hope Tours. We were a “California Oddity”!
Likewise, New York City has its very own identity. Some see it as exciting and others see it as cold-hearted. However any of us have perceived New York City in the past, the recent refusal of the Empire State Building to light gold for pediatric cancer awareness has opened the door for the world population to conclude the entire city is heartless.
If we look closer, we see this is far from the truth.
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Lesson 1
New York City establishments care deeply about children with cancer, and they are willing to take action to show it.
As childhood cancer advocates choked and gagged on the initial response from the Empire State Building, other New York locations began stepping up to fill the hole. The world famous Coney Island Parachute Jump jumped in, Times Square said they would go gold, 1 World Trade Center and 230 Park Avenue will be lighting gold. The New York Stock Exchange invited childhood cancer foundation, Frankie’s Mission to ring the bell yesterday!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/HHH2tCb03gY …
For a complete, updated list of those going GOLD, the best place to visit is Tony Stoddard’s “A Day of Yellow and Gold to Fight Childhood Cancer on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/yellowandgoldforcole
“The fallout or should I say “The GoldOut” from the Empire State Building’s refusal to light gold continues! 230 Park Avenue is the Crown Jewel of Park Avenue and it has joined Times Square in announcing it will be lighting gold in September…” for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. New York City is going all out for our kids!
~Tony Stoddard
Lesson 2
New York City citizens care deeply about children with cancer, and they are willing to take action to show it.
One example of these citizens is a man who happens to be a reporter from Fox 5 New York. This man has done wonders for helping spread awareness for childhood cancer. He has relentlessly sought to educate the public and to enlist the help of people who might assist in influencing decisions that will bring awareness to childhood cancer. His name is Joel Waldman.
Please follow him on Twitter and thank him for the generous contributions from his heart.
One of Joel’s tweets:
“One World Trade Center is going gold and Shelby Huff could not be happier. #OneWorldTrade #TallestBuildingInWesternHemisphere #TimesSquare #HelmsleyBuilding #ConeyISland #BayRIdgeBrooklyn #WhoIsNext ? http://www.myfoxny.com/clip/10498073/go-gold”
Melinda Marchiano @1ballerina · Aug 22
@joelwaldmanFOX5 wondering if you know how long the #ChildhoodCancer community has prayed for a reporter with your #Gold heart? #GoGold
Lesson 3
New York City political leaders and major league sports personalities care deeply about children with cancer, and they are willing to take action to show it.
New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin spoke with Joel Waldman about a former player of his who died from childhood cancer. In this same interview, Joel speaks with New York Giant Mark Herzlich about his survival from Ewing’s sarcoma and his puzzlement over why the Empire State Building won’t light gold for a night to recognize childhood cancer awareness in September.
http://www.myfoxny.com/clip/10518032/giants-to-esb-go-gold
New York City Councilman Vincent Gentile Deputy Leader (43rd District, Democrat) has also taken action.
One of his tweets tells about it:
Vincent J. Gentile @VGentile43 · Aug 26
I am introducing a resolution calling on the Empire State Building to GO GOLD for kids with cancer http://www.myfoxny.com/Clip/10511854/go-gold#.U_ysSRtTpm4.twitter … @joelwaldmanFOX5
Speaking with @joelwaldmanFOX5 about my resolution calling on the @EmpireStateBldg to go gold for kids with cancer.
One more New York City Councilman and former NYC public school teacher, Mark Treyger, helped influence the decision for the Coney Island Parachute Jump to light gold in September.
Melinda Marchiano @1ballerina · Aug 17
@MarkTreyger718 Wish more elected officials would open their hearts & roll up their sleeves like U! Thank you #ChildhoodCancer #EmpireGoGold
Melinda Marchiano @1ballerina · Aug 20
Huge thanks @MarkTreyger718 for your commitment to #GoGold for #ChildhoodCancer #ConeyIslandParachuteJump http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/coney-island-parachute-jump-highlight-childhood-cancer-article-1.1907877#bmb=1 … #WhosNext
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It looks from my end of the country that just about everyone in New York is stepping up to make this September a year that we will remember in the childhood cancer community as ground-breaking in raising awareness that will lead to research funding and cures.
New York, I love you! The lessons you have taught me make me adore you. The Empire State Building has chosen to be a Black Hole, but it is crystal clear that the rest of the city has an enormous capacity to care. Not only do you care, you are willing to take the action steps to show it.
Don’t worry, I am not going to let one bad apple ruin it for the rest of the Big Apple.
It’s time now to click the Frankie Rings the Bell link again and play it over and over. Is it just me? I swear I hear the sound of children laughing and playing.
Guest Blogger: Lee Marchiano
Melinda Marchiano 