When Times Square Goes Gold

Every September, something powerful happens in one of the busiest places in the world. The bright lights of Times Square shift to a new color—gold.

Gold is the color of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and when Times Square goes gold, it becomes more than just a display of lights. It becomes a symbol of the fight, the courage, and the lives of children battling pediatric cancer.

It was there, surrounded by those glowing gold lights, that I met Tessa and Alexa—two girls whose spirits left a mark on my heart forever.

Both of them were fighting battles far bigger than any child should have to face. Yet when you met them, you didn’t first see the illness or the struggle. You saw their smiles, their personalities, and the light they carried with them. They were full of life, strength, and a kind of bravery that can’t truly be put into words.

Standing in Times Square as it shined gold felt incredibly powerful. In a place that millions of people pass through every day, the lights were shining for kids like Tessa and Alexa—for the fighters, the survivors, and the angels who are no longer with us.

Moments like that remind us why awareness matters.

Pediatric cancer still receives far less attention and funding than many other diseases, yet thousands of children and families face this fight every year. When Times Square goes gold, it brings the world’s attention to these children—their courage, their stories, and the urgent need to keep fighting for them.

Meeting Tessa and Alexa there made the moment even more meaningful. They weren’t just part of the reason the lights were gold—they were the reason this mission matters so deeply.

Today, both Tessa and Alexa are angels, but their light has never faded. Just like the gold lights that filled Times Square that night, their stories continue to shine.

Every time those lights turn gold, we remember them.
We remember their smiles, their courage, and the love they shared with everyone around them.

Because gold isn’t just a color—it represents the strength of every child who has faced pediatric cancer and the promise that we will continue fighting in their honor.

And in Times Square, for a moment, the whole world glows gold for them.