Southside goes gold in honor of classmates

It started as a simple request. 

Laura Gilkey emailed Caprill Hembree, the president of Southside Elementary School's Parent Teacher Organization, in early September with hopes of organizing a school-wide day to honor Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by wearing the color gold. 

Gold is the trademark color of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place throughout September. 

It's a month that has particular significance within the halls of Southside Elementary. Two students, Laura Gilkey's son Benjamin and fellow student Avery Rann, died of cancer in the spring. 

"It hits you in the gut to be honest. It really does," Hembree said. "It was earth shaking for our school I would say and for our families and students."

Which is why wearing gold didn't seem enough to Hembree. 

"So that’s when we decided to label containers "Change for Cancer" in the classroom and collect change for the Benjamin Gilkey Pediatric Cancer Fund at Johns Hopkins All Children's," she said. 

The fund targets research in the fields of genetic

predispositions, immunotherapy and toxicity to chemotherapy, all factors in Benjamin Gilkey’s cancer.

So on Sept. 29, Southside students set aside their typical uniforms. Students streamed into their classes, many of their pockets heavy with coins, gilded in gold to honor their classmates.

Hembree said many of the older students understand the significance of the day and the importance of standing in solidarity with their classmates. They were friends with Benjamin Gilkey and Avery Rann, who would have been in the fourth and second grade respectively. 

"I think it just shows a camaraderie that is really what it’s all about in life," Hembree said. "I think a lot of times we forget and miss that mark. I hate that this is a situation that reminds us of it. I wish it were something happier, but I am thankful that our school has used this tragic situation to come together for these families."