Volunteer Richard Jaeger:
Gearing up for Michigan Celebration at the State Capitol
 I’ve been a longtime ACS and Relay For Life volunteer. But each year, I find myself looking forward to the Michigan Celebration at the State Capitol.
I first got involved with ACS through the West Bloomfield Relay For Life. The son of close friends of ours, Matt Lash, was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma while a sophomore at Michigan State University. They asked us to form a team for Matt at something called “Relay For Life,” and we did. Though we knew little about the event, once we attended, we were hooked!
We lost Matt last April but I saw him two days before he died and he still had a smile on his face and his thumbs up. Now, my wife and I are dedicated to continuing the fight in this amazing young man’s memory.
(Take a look at:http://www.jaegerjournal.com/FriendsandFamily.aspx)
Like Relay, Celebration at the State Capitol is an important part of the fight against cancer, which is one of the many reasons I plan to attend again this year on June 9.
Last year, 600 people went to Lansing as part of the event and our legislators had to take notice. One person visiting one legislator is important and good, but when you have hundreds of people talking to their lawmakers, elected officials have to listen. We also have some big issues this year such as supporting the cancer screening programs in the Healthy Michigan Fund and passing a statewide smokefree air law.
During recent informal discussions with legislators, one lawmaker told me that although he was opposed to government intervention, so many of his constituents contacted him and expressed their support for a smokefree air law that he has no choice but to support it.
That’s the power of our grassroots!
I admit that I am a political junkie and I have been since I met a young Senator from Massachusetts in 1960 who was running for President. So, advocacy for me was a natural fit. But you don’t have to be that well-versed in politics to enjoy Celebration at the State Capitol; you just need a passion to win the fight against cancer.
It’s a great way to meet fellow survivors, volunteers, and make new friends. For me, it’s the one time of the year that I get together with friends from the 2006 Celebration on the Hill. That camaraderie is really important. But Celebration at the State Capitol is also one of the most effective ways we have to influence our state legislature. It’s a lot of fun with a really serious purpose. Kind of like Relay.
Online registration for 2009 Celebration at the State Capitol is open through May 28. To register, visit: http://www.acsgld.org/micelebration/.
For more information on Matt Lash, visit: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/marathonformatt.
Pictured: Richard and Caryn Jaeger | 
