MLB to honor Childhood Cancer Awareness Day on Sunday

Major League Baseball and its Clubs will honor childhood cancer awareness across ballparks nationwide on Sunday, September 6^th and throughout the month of September. Hosted during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, this MLB Together effort (MLBTogether.com) will support the cause with ceremonial and community-based activities, including outreach to local hospitals treating young patients. Nonprofit partners for Clubs include local hospital partners or organizations focused on childhood cancer, such as Stand Up To Cancer and Starlight Children’s Foundation.

On Childhood Cancer Awareness Day (Sunday, September 6^th), ballparks will complement the traditional gameday presentation with customized gear and meaningful tributes:

• MLB’s in-ballpark efforts include a special video, produced by MLB Network, that will be featured on the scoreboard in Major League Baseball ballparks across the country, found HERE.
• On-field personnel, including players, managers, coaches and umpires will wear gold ribbon decals on the field and have the option to wear gold wristbands from Franklin Sports.
• Commemorative base jewels and lineup cards featured on the day will also be used.
• MLB Clubs will be recognizing Childhood Cancer Awareness Day locally in their ballparks with activation details at the end of the release. Clubs on the road on September 6^th may select another home game to observe Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

CHILDHOOD CANCER FACTS:

• In 2026, approximately 9,700 children under the age of 14 are projected to receive a cancer diagnosis in the United States.
• Across all demographics, cancer is the second-leading cause of death in children ages 1-14, and the leading cause of death due to disease.
• Childhood cancer is not one disease. The most common types of childhood cancer include leukemias, brain and central nervous system tumors and lymphomas.
• Over the past five decades, cancer researchers have developed treatments that have greatly changed the lives of children with cancer. The five-year survival rate for childhood cancer is now 85%, compared to 58% in the mid-1970’s.

As an extension of MLB’s relationship with Starlight Children’s Foundation, all 30 Club markets will be receiving a Starlight Gaming Handheld, powered by Nintendo, which will be donated to a local children’s hospital, hospital pediatric cancer care unit, or a pediatric cancer nonprofit organization. To learn more, visit MLBTogether.com/childhoodcancer and Starlight.org/mlb.

As Stand Up To Cancer’s founding donor in 2008, Major League Baseball and its Clubs have pledged more than $50 million to SU2C’s collaborative cancer research programs. The work of the Stand Up To Cancer – St. Baldrick’s Foundation Pediatric Cancer Dream Team, launched in 2013, helped pioneer the development of a cutting-edge immunotherapy treatment for a type of pediatric leukemia. This immunotherapy is now widely used to treat several cancer types. MLB has recognized SU2C at its Jewel Events since the 2009 World Series.