WHEREAS, childhood cancer remains the #1 disease related killer of our nation’s children; and

WHEREAS, in the United States each year, cancer kills more children than asthma, juvenile diabetes, cystic fibrosis and pediatric AIDS combined; and

WHEREAS, Nationally, one out of 330 children between birth and age 20 will be diagnosed each year with cancer totaling more than 12,500 children; and

WHEREAS, over 40,000 children and adolescents are currently being treated for childhood cancer, every year more than 12, 400 children are diagnosed with cancer; and

WHEREAS, approximately 249 children were diagnosed with cancer in 2004-2005 in Nevada; and

WHEREAS, a child cancer diagnosis is a family diagnosis and a tremendous emotional and financial burden for the family and child to bear; and

WHEREAS, the average impact on the family financially is a cost of $45,000, not including medical expenses; and

WHEREAS, Nevada has embraced the issue of childhood cancer with collaboration between community non-profit organizations that provide financial and logistic assistance to families burdened with this horrible disease; and

WHEREAS, even with the remarkable breakthroughs in cancer treatments and improvement in survival rates, one out of five children continue to die; and

WHEREAS, educating our communities about this horrible disease and rising social consciousness is essential to generating immediate federal and private funding of childhood cancer research;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM GIBBONS, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, do hereby proclaim September, 2008 as,