Annie Bartosz, founder of the G9 Foundationhttp://goldinseptember.com/“We can't just win this battle against an awful disease with people trying to fight it. We need everyone fighting together. Because with only those affected, it's like trying to win the war with only the wounded”- Annie Bartosz
Sometimes tragedy hits kids a lot earlier than it should. It’s just a sad reality of life. However, while some whom are struck by tragedy may be dragged down with it, other choose to rise up and take a stand, to fight it. One such person is Annie Bartosz, a little girl who had dreams of changing the world for the better, and did.
At the age of 11, Annie lost her best friend and twin brother, Jack, to cancer in 2012. Jack had been fighting against a rare type of cancer called neuroblastoma, a disease found in the adrenal glands, for nearly seven years before he died in August. Annie’s father, John Bartosz, was an attorney who created the I Back Jack Foundation in 2006 along with his wife Sarah, the time when Jack was diagnosed. It was a nonprofit organization dedicated to Jack and raised funds for pediatric oncology research.
Later in 2012 Annie became a founder of Gold in September (G9 Foundation). The foundation differentiates itself by focusing on kids all over the country, fighting cancer, in an ambitious hope to save all children from cancer. Even though she was simply a little girl living Hartland, Wisconsin, she did not work unnoticed. In 2014, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stood beside Annie, walking door to door to help spread awareness for cancer using the color gold.
Unfortunately, in March of 2016, her father had sadly died after fighting the long term side effects of cancer treatment. It was a devastating time for the family, and other nonprofit organizations commended John and Jack for their bravery and indomitable will. Like her father and brother, Annie didn't give up. She decided to continue strive to change the future, to help prevent the tragedies that she endured from happening to others. The G9 Foundation trudged on, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help children fighting cancer. Today, it stands strong, aiming to bring the world under a gold umbrella, free from cancer.
What made me take notice of Annie in the first place was actually because of one of the G9 programs. My school, Ronald Reagan College Preparatory High School, had been a participant along with other local Wisconsin schools in the G9 Penny Wars. It was a friendly competition where year vs year (war between the different classes) raise money for G9, with rewards for the class who donates the most. While it was a fantastic and fun competition, I had originally known nothing about G9. But when the My Hero Project began, I grew curious. I was surprised to find that a young girl had created such a altruistic and devoted organization, while when I was 11, I was playing video games. Annie Bartosz is humble yet ambitious to help those in need, she is determined even when faced with tragedy. She stands strong for those who can't. She is my hero.
Page created on 12/14/2017 7:27:53 PM
Last edited 12/18/2017 4:58:59 PM
