Empire State Building refuses request to honor pediatric cancer awareness

Empire State Building refuses request to honor pediatric cancer awareness

The Empire State Building, which has lit the Manhattan skyline in the past to honor Gay Pride Week, Chinese New Year, and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, has refused requests to light up in honor the struggle faced by kids battling cancer and their families.

Via MyFoxNY:

Little Cole Stoddard told his dad, Tony, something that will probably tear your heart to pieces like it did his dad. The 5-year-old said “I’m not going to grow up to do anything.” not long after, Cole died from a vicious form of brain cancer.

Stoddard put in a formal request with the Empire State Building asking to go gold for one night to raise awareness for pediatric cancer research.

But, the Empire State Building said no, simultaneously crushing Tony’s promise to son that his life would mean something. Other young cancer patient parents are now rallying around the Stoddards.

As the Fox report highlights, the Empire State Building has indeed been decorated in rainbow lights for Gay Pride Week:

gay pride week

In May of this year the building was lit up to honor the Brooklyn Nets who, last time anybody checked, had accomplished very little. Ever.

On July 16, the building was lit green and blue to honor the Empire State Realty Trust, the group that owns the building. In other words, they’re willing to honor themselves for one night. Kids suffering from cancer? Just can’t do it.

Building management released a statement that read in part that they are “unable to light for all who apply.”

One mother, whose daughter is in remission from leukemia, claims management also told her they “get more requests than there are days of the year.” However, the mother noted that the building remained a neutral white color during a 17-day span last September, indicating there was certainly some opportunity.

A quick view of their web page indicates numerous gaps throughout this past year in which the Empire State Building was not scheduled for a special lighting. In June, only 8 of the 30 days indicate that there was a specific honorary lighting scheme. August currently only has two dates tied up – today the building will be lit purple in honor of military veterans, and August 15th, it will be lit in honor of India Day.

After hearing of Mr. Stoddard’s plight to get the building lit in honor of his son’s memory, numerous other parents took to the Empire State Building Facebook page, posting pictures of their own children battling pediatric cancer, and asking management to reconsider.

Unbelievably, those parents say the pictures of their children were deleted.

Watch the MyFoxNY report below:

A petition has been started to pressure the Empire State Realty Trust to honor pediatric cancer victims. Those interested in adding their signatures are invited to click the link here. The hashtag #empiregogold  has been created on Twitter help get the word out.

Cross-posted at the Mental Recession

Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss is editor of the Mental Recession, one of the top conservative blogs of 2012. His writings have appeared at the Daily Caller, American Thinker, FoxNews.com, Big Government, the Times Union, and the Troy Record.

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