Centreville SYA Coach Aims to Start Childhood Cancer Awareness Tradition

Centreville resident and Southwestern Youth Association  (SYA) Coach Dustin Sanchez is the father of a healthy 10-year-old boy, but he realizes many parents aren't as fortunate as he. 

That is one of the reasons he is spreading the word this month about childhood cancers. September is designated Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Sanchez said he was drawn to become an advocate for the cause about five years ago, around the same time he became a SYA coach.  That's when he formed a friendship with a coworker whose son, 5-year-old Cody Johnson, was suffering from neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that affects children. 

"Over time, I developed a strong friendship with Mickey (Johnson) and was educated on the trials and tribulations that he and his family went through in their fight against “the beast” ravaging their son’s body," Sanchez wrote in a letter to Patch. 

Cody succumbed to the cancer and died March 6, 2009. 

Now, Sanchez said, he wants to raise awareness for childhood cancer in a new way: by having SYA members where gold in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness month.  Gold signifies Childhood Cancer Awareness, much like pink does for breast cancer, he said. 

" ... This is something close to my heart.  Cody Johnson would be my son’s age playing in the weight division I coach," Sanchez said. "Cody should be out at skills camp this week and prepping for practice next week but he doesn’t have that opportunity."

He would like to see SYA football players wear gold socks, gold shoe laces or other gear to raise awareness for the cause, Sanchez said.  "As youth football coaches, we are all out there every night for the kids.  Let’s help promote childhood cancer awareness and fight 'the beast' that is taking away our children."

Sanchez said he is a member of Cody's Crew, a grassroots 501 (c) 3 organization started by Mickey Johnson and his wife, Diane, in memory of their late son. 

The mission of Cody’s Crew is to increase public awareness of childhood cancer and to raise funds to support the search for a cure for neuroblastoma and other forms of pediatric cancer.

"... Too many families go through the same pain and suffering that the Johnsons endured and I would like to do my part to bring childhood cancer to the forefront of research.  We must find a cure to these diseases stealing away our children," Sanchez said. 

For more information about raising awareness about the fight against childhood cancers, email Dustin Sanchez at dustinsanchez@yahoo.com.