Friday Night Locker Room’s Steve Wilson and Orville Susong Bring Awareness to Childhood Cancer Month
By Steve Wilson // September 1, 2025
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. It was designated as such in 2012 by President Barack Obama. The Friday Night Locker Room’s Steve Wilson and Orville Susong will raise awareness about childhood cancer throughout the month on Space Coast Daily through various means.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. It was designated as such in 2012 by President Barack Obama.
The numbers are staggering. According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, “Each year in the U.S., there are an estimated 15,780 children between the ages of birth and 19 years of age who are diagnosed with cancer.”
Around the world, there are approximately 300,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year.
Approximately 1,600 children die each year in the U.S. from cancer. Pediatric cancers are the leading cause of death from disease in children between the ages of 1 and 14 years.”
During September, my broadcasting/business partner, Orville Susong, and I will be doing what we can to raise awareness of childhood cancer.
Among other things, we will be writing articles, interviewing individuals involved with cancer issues, talking with young people who have beaten cancer, and talking with family members who have lost their child to cancer.
Unfortunately, pediatric cancer is a reality. On too many occasions, children are robbed of “what their life could have been.” It’s time for this to stop!
In the 21st century, with modern medicine capable of amazing things, we, as a society, must do better.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steve Wilson was born in DeRidder, Louisiana and grew up in both New Orleans and Macon, Georgia. He moved to Brevard County in 1984 and retired from local government as the Community Advocate/Assistant to the City Manager with the City of Rockledge in 2018.
Among the awards and accolades Steve has received over the years are 15 + year Rockledge Little League volunteer, Brevard Public School Jefferson Award Recipient, Rockledge High School Raider Booster Award 2001, 2006, City of Rockledge Employee of the Year 2006, Rockledge Kiwanian of the Year 2006-2007, City of Rockledge Quality Public Service Award 2008, 2012, 2017, Rockledge Kiwanis Citizen of the Year 2012-2013, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Sportscasting 2015, Rockledge High School Leadership and Service Award 2016, Central Florida Humanitarian Award 2017, Space Coast Inspiration Award – 2018, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement – 2020, Ecofest Achievement Award – 2022, Quality Floridian Award – 2022, presented by U.S. Congressman Bill Posey, Florida House District 32 Constituent of the Week 4/20/25.
Wilson is especially proud of his chairing two fundraisers in support of pediatric cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in honor of Merritt Island resident Julie Spurlock that raised over $25,000.00.
He has been a partner, along with Orville Susong, for the past 26 years with the Friday Night Locker Room, a broadcasting team that covers and reports on a wide variety of local events that are of significance to the residents of the Space Coast and beyond. Their mission is to promote youth sports, support first responders and law enforcement personnel, and showcase community and charitable events that are produced by our nonprofit partners in central Florida.
The Friday Night Locker Room has awarded hundreds of sports achievement plaques to Brevard County student-athletes over the years. They have also awarded more than $18,000 in academic scholarships to Brevard County high school seniors.
