Six Flags Over Georgia rolls out the red carpet for CURE Childhood Cancer

May 28, 2003

Atlanta - Six Flags Over Georgia is rolling out the red carpet for a group of very special guests June 4, 2003. Sponsored by CURE Childhood Cancer, Red Carpet Day is a unique event that offers young cancer patients a temporary break from their illnesses with VIP treatment at popular Atlanta destinations like Six Flags Over Georgia.

Red Carpet Day was the created in 2002 by 17-year-old Girl Scout Savannah Solomon. While fighting her own battle with cancer, Solomon decided to create a special day of diversions just for other young cancer patients. She began by approaching Six Flags Over Georgia and other local businesses to help host around 125 teens from the region. She then contacted childhood cancer treatment facilities around the Southeast to invite teens to Red Carpet Day.

Solomon earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for Red Carpet Day 2002 which was such a success that she was one of ten girls in the nation to be named a 2003 Girl Scout Gold Award Young Woman of Distinction. This spring Girl Scouts USA flew her to Washington D.C. to receive her award.

Under the direction of Solomon, Red Carpet Day has been taken up a notch with even more fun and the extras that give the event a true "VIP" feel for the participants. An additional day has been added to the event and local businesses are helping out by donating limo service to the park, an afternoon at the spa, and more. Six Flags Over Georgia is donating admission tickets, lunch in the park, and all the fun these VIPs can stand. The U.S. Marine Corps will also be helping out, providing escorts for participants who require wheelchair access to the park.

This year, CURE Childhood Cancer is involved as a sponsor of Red Carpet Day. Together with Solomon, they expect around 100 participants from Augusta, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Columbia, Asheville, and Knoxville. These special guests range from 13 to 19 years of age and come from a variety of different backgrounds. Solomon, who is currently working as an intern at the organization, has worked hard to organize all of the details that must go into an event this size.

Solomon's own story is one of remarkable courage and determination. She was first diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that attacks the connective tissue in the body, in June of 1997 just before she turned 12. She underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tissue followed by nine months of chemotherapy. In February of 2001, at the age of 15, Solomon relapsed when the cancer returned, spreading to her lungs. After lung surgery, she underwent 40 weeks of chemo and a month of radiation. Since January 2002 she has been cancer-free.

Although she has faced more challenges than the average teenager, Solomon has refused to allow her health to deter her from achieving her goals in life. Even while planning this year's event, she succeeded in graduating Valedictorian from Sandy Creek High School. After this year's Red Carpet Day, she plans to attend Georgia Tech on a full scholarship. As for her long-term goals, Solomon would like to eventually take Red Carpet Day national, pitching the event to other Six Flags parks. After college, she would like to continue help others by finding her place as a director of a non-profit organization.

Red Carpet Day guests will arrive at the front gates of Six Flags Over Georgia via Northside Limousine service at 10 a.m. They will enter the park on a red carpet where they will be greeted by Six Flags Over Georgia staff and U.S. Marines.

CURE Childhood Cancer was founded in 1975 as a non-profit organization dedicated to conquering childhood cancer through research, education, and support of patients and their families. Until there is a cure for every child diagnosed with cancer - CURE will be there.