Cindy Cable is excited about Indiana Lobby Day 2008. As a Legislative Ambassador, this will be her fourth time attending, but each Lobby Day event is critical in the fight against cancer.

"It’s really important for [legislators and volunteers] to work together," explained Cindy. "Legislators also need to be reminded that they work for us. Unless we go and talk to them, they don’t know how we feel or how strongly we feel."

This year’s event, scheduled for February 5, is somewhat unique in that all of the grassroots efforts will be focused on one issue: the enactment of a statewide smokefree air law for Indiana.

"There are so many benefits to smokefree air," said Cindy. "And we have the research to back it up."

Unfortunately, many workers do not yet have a smokefree policy to protect them on the job. Studies show that individuals who work in smoke filled buildings have higher cancer rates. For example, nonsmokers who work in bars and restaurants have a 50 percent higher risk of lung cancer than all other nonsmokers.

The issue is so critical that recently ACS helped form the Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air (ICSA). ICSA is a statewide coalition of organizations committed to the enactment of a comprehensive statewide law to make all workplaces, including restaurants, bars, and casinos, smokefree.

A resident of Greenfield, Indiana, Cindy is aware of the health hazards related to secondhand smoke. "When I originally started as an ACS volunteer, no one in my family had cancer. Since then my father, brother, and sister-in-law have all been diagnosed."

Cindy has been an ACS volunteer for about 10 years, first working in local Relay For Life events. As time went by, she wanted to do more. When the opportunity to become a Legislative Ambassador presented itself, she took it. As an experienced volunteer, Cindy believes that Lobby Day is invaluable to everyone involved.

"We go to Indianapolis and often we can bring [legislators] information that they don’t know and make it easier for them to do the right thing. It’s good to go to Lobby Day. Cancer is something that we can stop. Why shouldn’t we?"

Lobby days give volunteers the chance to fight back through advocacy by speaking with lawmakers about important cancer-related issues. Indiana Lobby Day 2008 will be held rain or shine on Tuesday, February 5 and registration will be open through Friday, January 25. To find out more about Indiana Lobby Day 2008 and to register for the event, visit www.acsgld.org/inlobbyday.