Mayor Jeff Hall on the council dais proclaimed September 2025 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Newark, Ohio, and encouraged residents to get involved in support and awareness efforts. The proclamation was presented during the council meeting before public comment and was followed by several personal statements from local families.

The proclamation notes that childhood cancer "affects thousands of young Americans each year" and states, "I, Jeff Hall, mayor of the city of Newark, hereby proclaim September 2025 as childhood cancer awareness month in Newark, Ohio, and I strongly urge all citizens to get involved in the fight to end childhood cancer." The mayor read figures describing national diagnoses and treatment burdens that were included in the proclamation text.

Why it matters: the proclamation sets aside civic recognition and invited community support; several residents used the opportunity to share first-person accounts that illustrated the human toll behind the statistics.

During public comment, a woman who identified herself as Caitlin described her family’s experience with pediatric cancer and cited figures she said applied to Ohio and the United States. She said, "We are the one of those 552 in Ohio," and recounted her child’s treatments and surgeries at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Another speaker, identified as Jennifer, said her daughter died July 5, 2024, at age 7 after multiple surgeries and rounds of treatment; Jennifer described the family’s experience attending radiation and other therapies.

Council members and the mayor received the remarks and offered condolences. Mayor Hall presented the proclamation to the speakers and the council acknowledged the families’ testimonies.

The proclamation itself does not create binding policy or new funding; it is a formal civic recognition intended to raise awareness and encourage community involvement. The meeting record shows the proclamation was presented and public comments were made; no additional formal action (for example, an ordinance or funding measure) tied to the proclamation was taken at the meeting.

For readers: local residents seeking ways to support childhood cancer families were encouraged to contact local nonprofit organizations and hospital family services, as highlighted during the presentation.