A great idea from a lovely 4th grade teacher! Thank you, D.C.!!
I am a 4th grade teacher. I am also a mother. I have been following your blog for a while now. I am so very sorry for the loss of your beautiful son, Ronan. I have signed the petition and I just sent an email to the parents of my students. I told them that I had a “Golden Opportunity” for them. I am going to offer extra credit to the students whose parents / friends / etc. sign the petition.
Whatever it takes, right?
Best of luck in this endeavor. I am looking forward to hearing the GOOD news!
Hello friends,
This is a “Golden” opportunity for some bonus points 
I am sending this email in order to raise awareness for childhood cancer. Maya lost her son, Ronan, to childhood cancer and wants to “turn the White House gold” in order to raise awareness.
Please read the following plea from Maya:
I have been dreaming non-stop about this petition. Woody thinks there is no way we are going to get the signatures that we need. I love to prove my husband wrong, but so need your help. We only have until February 6th, to do this.
Please, sign this. It’s legit. It takes one minute. I don’t know what else to say except I cannot let Ronan down. I can’t let all these kids down who need this awareness so badly. If the awareness already existed for childhood cancer that it is so lacking when Ronan got sick, he may not have died. I can’t bring back Ronan, but I swear to you, I will help to save the kids of the future who will be diagnosed with cancer.
Please, please, please sign if you have not, and share this with anyone you can think of. We are running out of time just as these kids are and it is just not right.
Thank you.
You can watch a short video clip here:
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/valley-mom-needs-your-help-to-light-white-house-gold-for-childhood-cancer-awareness
If you would like to sign, you can do so here:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/light-white-house-gold-month-september-honor-pediatric-cancer-fighters-and-bring-light-cause/syV6M6wX?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl
If you decide to sign it, let me know and I will think of a way to give the students some bonus points If you can, please forward this to your friends. Now that I am a mother, my whole outlook on life has changed.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
D.C.
Fourth Grade Teacher
Jenn
/ January 24, 2013That’s awesome:) I keep checking to see if the number goes up! fingers, toes, arms, legs, everything crossed!
Brandy Gross
/ January 24, 2013I have been checking it like every 20 minutes…its an obsession and a great one! Maya is making powerful strides <3
Jenn
/ January 24, 2013so I’m not the only one! I have a great feeling this is going to make it! I hope to check it tomorrow morning and see over 25K people on there!
Michelle from MI
/ January 24, 2013I keep checking too! This WILL happen. Maya has the Midas touch……..she is my hero….
nancy
/ January 24, 2013WOW! What an awesome idea and an awesome teacher! YOU ROCK!!
terrie
/ January 24, 2013Wow what an amazing teacher and person.!
Rachel De La Rosa
/ January 24, 2013My best friend and little brother are both teachers and I just forwarded this idea to them!! FANTASTIC IDEA!!!!!!!!!
Dianna Harris
/ January 24, 2013What a great thing for the teachers to do!!! But why not !!!!! Aren’t they the stewards of our future leaders of this country!!!!
Brandy Gross
/ January 24, 2013AMAZING!!!!! Absolutley gave me chills <3
Stacy D
/ January 24, 2013One. Smart. Cookie. How awesome is that?!
rebecca lookingbill
/ January 24, 2013Totally awesome!!! Your GOING to make your numbers I just know it!!!
Tracey B, Yuma, AZ
/ January 24, 2013Mama Maya…
I have been sharing and sharing!!! I’ve been checking the petition every hour this morning – at 9am we needed 7730 and now at 1pm we need 6869!!! I am praying with everything that I have that your reality, our reality, comes to fruition!!! I won’t say it’s a dream because this WILL happen… your strength, Ro’s strength, shines on! You all are our Rockstar’s – you have given me something to be passionate about and I hope one day to meet you and thank you for sharing Ronan’s life and legacy with us. All my love and strength to you and yours. <3
bbrister
/ January 24, 2013I posted petition to Ellen’s Twitter!! Wooddawg you are going to eat crow!!!
Tabitha
/ January 24, 2013Thats awesome! I called everyone in my phone, messaged everyone on my facebook to sign. Im doing whatever it takes to get each and every one of my friends to sign it.
Olivia
/ January 24, 2013Maya i think what you are doing to help these kids is amazing. I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and i cry everytime i read it. Im 14 and I live in England. Can i sign the petition even though I’m not an American citizen??
mgood03
/ January 24, 2013What a great idea!! I have shared this on facebook. My fingers are crossed it will continue to get shared and people will sign the petition! Lets keep on keepin’ on!!!
Amy Hetrick
/ January 24, 2013So awesome!! I keep watching the number!! I hope you make it by Jan 31st…just so woody has to shake his head in defeat
Michell
/ January 24, 2013That is awesome idea! I passed along the info to a couple teachers as well, fingers crossed they will take action! If you would like check out Prayers for Lane Goodwin on Facebook. They received a letter from President Obama or a staff member. Lane died from cancer last fall, he was 13. I posted a comment about the petition on the Facebook page, but they have a lot of followers. They are in Kentucky, maybe they can get some support for the petition in the Midwest. I’m shocked the 25,000 mark has not be way passed by this point. Good luck!
kendallsmomma1
/ January 24, 2013That sounds like a great idea!! I have 6 periods of eighth graders in Palatka, Florida. Thanks D. C. and Maya for the idea!!! I’ll spread the word. With our 85 employees, if even half off them agree to do the same, imagine how many parents we can reach this way!
Tessa
jandcwiggins
/ January 24, 2013Extremely brilliant!!!!
Kris
/ January 24, 2013yes teachers are sooo smart. I have emailed this to my sons high school teachers as well. Find out if Woody has any prior teachers at the high school he went to so there students can vote as well. I will try to find someone to spread the word at each highschool all the students have phones and internet. Lets get this done smok n mama maya.
Paula
/ January 24, 2013AWESOMENESS!!!!!!
Glenda
/ January 24, 2013Romazing!!!
There’s been 500 signatures in the last 2 hours.
Lets do this Maya’s mafia!!!
Always rolove
Xo
CA
/ January 24, 2013To Olivia, and anyone else wondering if they can sign even if not American/in the US: as best I can tell, the only restrictions are that you are 13 or older, and only create one account per person. The form to create an account asks for a postal code, but it is not required.
Maya, if you know either way, maybe it would be good to mention if people outside of the US can sign. I’m sure you have lots of international readers who want to sign but aren’t sure if they’re allowed.
I’m another reader who’s never posted before. Your loss of Ronan and the way you write about this new world you live in is overwhelming, in the best/worst way. I can’t wait to see a gold house in September.
senja
/ January 24, 2013I am a teacher too and I will do the same thing for my middle school classes and staff. My students and I have our own heartbreak in our class because one their peers has just had his cancer come back and spread to his lungs. I will also post this link on my my facebook page. xoxox
Kodiak My Little Grizzly
/ January 24, 2013That is so sad!!! Cancer is horrible…. I had 3 family members lost to cancer!!!
April White
/ January 24, 2013Maya, I love this! I just emailed all of the teachers at my
kids school and the Dean of Students to put this idea in their
newsletters, give assignments for extra credit, etc. hope. This
helps!!!! April White
hatchjo
/ January 24, 2013I just wrote a post and then is just disappeared!
Anyway…I have been inspired by you to become a “doer” and not
just sit on my butt and wish for things to get better. I have
posted the link to the petition at work, on Pinterest, on 3 radio
stations and a TV station. I spent the wee hours of the weekend
trolling for blogs of sad families suffering as they try to help
their sweet children battle cancer. I post on their blogs so more
people see it and feel moved to do something about it. Maya, your
fire is contagious! It will happen, I can feel it. I check the
website about 30 times/day and the numbers are climbing!!
xoxo
MissL
/ January 24, 2013Just signed! L.S. #18,991 getting my sis and friends to sign as well.
With love from Syd.
Kim F
/ January 24, 2013We are going to get this…. We are, we are, we are…. I can feel it. There was a light slump in the middle but we got this. I cannot wait to celebrate on Feb 6th…. or sooner. Come on people, make it happen.
P.S. Woodrow, you are wrong…
Amanda Neff
/ January 24, 2013You’ve got this!!! Only a little over 5,000 to go and it was over 7,000 when I got to work this morning!!
Amanda Neff
Utah Arts Festival
program administrator
P (801) 322-2428
amanda@uaf.org
where art lives
http://www.uaf.org
Follow the Utah Arts Festival on Facebook and on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest info!
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February 23, 2013
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June 15, 2013
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June 20-23, 2013
Melanie
/ January 24, 2013You’re doing it maya!!!!
Michelle from MI
/ January 24, 2013Midas Maya!!! The petitions are growing quickly! Maya, you have captured a lot of our hearts….don’t stop fighting and inspiring (us)
Anne
/ January 24, 2013Just checked – over 20K. Looking good. Feeling hopeful.
Taylor W
/ January 24, 2013i just signed it, i keep refreshing the page and it just keeps going up.. youre gonna make it(:
Maru
/ January 24, 2013This might be a bit weird, but I’m from Argentina and have been reading your blog for quite a while now, I’m really not exaggerating when I say I think about Ronan everyday. Which is why I really wanted to sign this petition, a tiiiiiiiiiiny little help in this huge monster fight against the asshole cancer. BUT since I’m not from the States I didn’t know how to create an account because it asked for a ZIP code which I obviously don’t have cause I don’t live there… BUT then I remembered being 13 and watching Beverly Hills 90201… Anyone I put 90210 as my ZIP Code and created an account, it worked! I signed the petition!!! YAY.
Jessica
/ January 24, 2013You need less than 5000 signatures and its not even February yet!
Jen D.
/ January 24, 2013The petition is averaging 205 signatures an hour. This stat has been increasing all day long, and is double yesterday’s average per hour. It has a life of its own and it is going to get done. Signing it is a no brainer it was getting the word out that it is there to be signed.
laneyquinnpfapa (Heidi H)
/ January 24, 2013HOLY SHIT!!!! So many people have signed it since I last checked!! Only 4, 378 more to go (as of now). Yay!!!! So excited. Maya YOU ARE SO FUCKING AWESOME!!! And so is RONAN!!! xo
Mara
/ January 25, 2013Working hard to get those signatures….My husband just
sent the petition to all his clients…..I asked my daughter…also
a teacher…to get her school on board….Ronan we hear you…your
Momma will not give up and neither will we…..XXX
Anne
/ January 25, 2013Hi Maya! I signed a couple of weeks ago and have been
forwarding the link to everyone I know. This will happen!
beckee
/ January 25, 2013I never thought of sending the story to me local news, but
I hope they pick it up.
I sent it today