Lycoming County Commissioners on Tuesday read and presented a proclamation declaring September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, honoring children currently battling cancer, survivors and families who have lost children to the disease. Commissioner Mark C. Sortman read the proclamation on behalf of the board, and the document was signed on behalf of the commissioners by Chairman Scott L. Metzger, Vice Chairman Mark C. Sortman and Secretary Mark Messina. Diane Dutko, executive director of Think Big Pediatric Cancer Fund, traveled from Luzerne County to accept the proclamation and spoke about the group’s work supporting families.

The proclamation cites national statistics and local impacts: "Approximately 9,550 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2025," and "1 in 285 children in the United States will be diagnosed by their twentieth birthday," the reading said. The proclamation also noted that only six drugs specifically for childhood cancer have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past 30 years.

Diane Dutko described Think Big’s direct financial support to families and the limits of federal research funding. "Think Big has given away about $1,700,000 to about 300 families who are battling pediatric cancer," she said. She added that pediatric cancer research receives a small share of overall cancer research dollars: "Funding for pediatric cancer research is only about 4 percent in comparison to all the adult cancers," Dutko said.

Dutko told commissioners that Think Big typically provides about $5,000 per year to an average family receiving support from the organization and emphasized the nonprofit’s mission to help families meet immediate needs such as housing and utilities during treatment. "Sometimes they're here in treatment three years," she said. County officials offered condolences to Dutko for her personal loss and thanked her for appearing at the meeting.

The proclamation and Dutko’s remarks were presented publicly; no separate roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript beyond the proclamation reading and presentation. The proclamation asks citizens to reaffirm a commitment to fighting childhood cancer and acknowledges local organizations that support affected families.