10/02/2026
TWELVE YEARS. ONE MISSION. A VALLEY THAT NOW SHINES GOLD. ποΈβ¨π
Twelve years ago, we had a mission: turn the Rio Grande Valley GOLD for the children battling cancer right here at home.
We knew why it mattered. We just didnβt know how we were going to get an entire community to notice.
So we started small.
We showed up at a Donna football game with 100 gold wristbands and a hope that someone would wear one, ask what it meant, and learn about the children behind the gold ribbon.
The next year, we brought 400.
And then, year after year, more teams, more schools and more communities began saying YES to GOLD.
Eight years ago, Sharyland volleyball teams decided to use their platform to shine a light on childhood cancer. More athletes joined. More coaches joined. More schools joined.
And then four years ago, H-E-B joined us.
And somehow, the Valley got bigger, bolder and a whole lot GOLDER. π
This year alone, more than 6,000 gold wristbands were worn by athletes and students across the Rio Grande Valley.
Thousands of walkers put on their gold and walked beside our warriors with one message:
βYou donβt walk alone.β
Elementary schools celebrated their own childhood cancer warriors. Junior highs and high schools across the RGV turned their campuses and stadiums gold. Athletes wore gold under the Friday night lights and on volleyball courts. Communities showed up. Families showed up. The Valley showed up.
Sometimes itβs hard to believe it all started with 100 little gold wristbands.
To look around today and see how far this mission has traveled, and how many people now understand what GOLD means,is incredibly beautiful.
But we also know our work isnβt finished.
We will keep going gold,saying their names,
And we will not stop until there is a cure. ποΈ
To H-E-B, thank you for believing in this mission and for using your incredible reach to help us turn an entire region gold.
You didnβt just help us raise awareness.
You helped our children see an entire Valley standing beside them.
And for that, we will always be grateful. π
Because after allβ¦
Everything really is better with my H-E-B.
β€οΈποΈπ
H-E-B
Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer & Hematology Clinic
Donna Independent School District
Sharyland High School
