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advocacy Celebration on the Hill 2006: celebrating survivorship and making cancer a priority Nearly 10,000 people representing every Congressional District in the country gathered in Washington DC on September 19 and 20 for Celebration on the Hill 2006, a unique event to celebrate cancer survivorship and urge Congress to make cancer a national priority. 
To represent the Great Lakes Division, 235 Hoosiers and Michiganders attended the event, sponsored by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). From across the nation, close to 4,000 "volunteer ambassadors" met with legislators to share personal cancer stories and ask lawmakers to:
The first night, volunteers attended ACS CAN events where political celebrities such as Newt Gingrich, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Sam Donaldson made appearances.  People explored the Wall of Hope, the largest temporary monument ever built on the National Mall. Forming a maze of 5,000 banners with over three million signatures and a personal story from each state, the Wall of Hope demonstrated the country's unity against cancer at a time when funding cuts are threatening cancer programs of the National Institutes of Health and others. There was also a historic opportunity to enroll in the American Cancer Society's latest research project, Cancer Prevention Study 3, which will follow 500,000 adults who have never had cancer to learn how lifestyle, behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors cause or prevent cancer. On September 20, ambassadors cheered each other on as they went in and out of legislative meetings. Barbara Buckley, a Michigan ambassador, learned that everyone has the ability to make an impact in the cancer fight after speaking with her legislator. "I was just one of the little ants on the Hill and I made a difference," she said.  As ambassadors met with legislators, others walked laps around the Capitol Reflecting Pool in a Relay For Life event, complete with the traditional survivor's first lap and luminaria ceremony with nearly 20,000 candles to honor and remember those touched by cancer. To Sharon Simmons, our VOICES Indiana ambassador, it was a time to reflect. "It is hopeful to see how much cancer treatment and cancer care has improved in our country. But seeing all the 'in memory of' luminaria at the ending ceremony just reminds us how far we have to go to beat this terrible disease." Celebration on the Hill 2006 was not just an event; it was the beginning of a cancer movement. To keep the celebration going, visit www.celebrationonthehill.org. Pictured top: Michigan volunteer ambassadors, including Jayne Ellsworth and Barbara Buckley. Middle: The Wall of Hope. Bottom: The luminaria ceremony. | |
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