KUCHING: The Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) is set to organise the three-kilometre Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk 2026 at Kuching Waterfront and Darul Hana Bridge on 5 September, bringing the community together in solidarity with children battling cancer and their families.

Held as part of SCCS’ Light It Up Gold Campaign 2026 in conjunction with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the walk is open to the public with a donation of RM50 per participant.

“SCCS aims to bring together 500 participants and raise at least RM25,000 through the campaign.

“While this amount may seem small compared to the cost of expenses for a single patient, every contribution can help SCCS sustain the everyday support that children and families need throughout their cancer journey,” it said in a statement.

SCCS added that this includes supporting the SCCS Halfway Home at Desa Wira, where families from outside Kuching can stay while their children undergo treatment at the hospital.

“The Halfway Home can accommodate up to 14 children and their caregivers at any one time, with average monthly operating expenses of approximately RM12,000. As of 31 July 2026, the Halfway Home has supported 28 families, providing a total of 1,580 nights of accommodation.

“Funds raised through this walk will help cover essential day-to-day needs, including electricity, groceries, transportation to and from the hospital, and other basic necessities for families staying at the Halfway Home,” it said.

In the statement, SCCS President Mary Kiu Ai Ling said the Light It Up Gold Campaign is an opportunity for the community to not only show solidarity, but also turn that support into meaningful help for families.

“Light It Up Gold is about making childhood cancer visible, understood and talked about. When you join the walk, you are not only standing in solidarity with children fighting cancer, you are also helping to create little moments of hope for them and their families.

“Sometimes, hope can come in the simplest forms. It can be a bag of rice waiting for a family at the Halfway Home, electricity that keeps the lights on, or transportation that helps a child get to the hospital for treatment. These may seem like small things, but to a family going through cancer, they mean one less thing for them to worry about,” she said.

Through Light It Up Gold, SCCS hopes to encourage the community to better understand that childhood cancer affects not only the child, but the entire family. While medical treatment is a crucial part of a child’s cancer journey, it is only one part of the challenges families may face.

Therefore, it calls on individuals, families, organisations and members of the public to come together in support of children with cancer at the Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk 2026.

SCCS also expressed its sincere appreciation to the partners and sponsors whose support has helped make the Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk 2026 possible, namely City Joggers Club, Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), GaoGao Group, Tea FM, and St John Ambulance Sarawak as well as event sponsor Go Beyond.

For registration and more information, members of the public may call or WhatsApp the SCCS general line at 011-39276553. -UKASnews