Celebration Wraps Up Advocacy For American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society's Celebration on the Hill featuring thousands of survivors and supporters finished advocacy of September a few weeks ago in Washington, D.C.

"Celebration on the Hill was an outstanding success," said Lori Soderbergh, regional director of communications for the Fort Worth, TX American Cancer Society office. "Besides bringing together cancer survivors, volunteers, caregivers, and staff from across the country, Celebration on the Hill achieved the following: Celebraiton Ambassadors had more than 500 Congressional visits, 279 members have agreed to expand the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, 300 members have agreed to support a five percent increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health, more than 310 members have signed the American Cancer Society Action Network Congressional Cancer Promise, 10,000 participants, of which approximately 4,000 were ambassadors attended the event compared to 5,000 in 2002. "

The farthest distance traveled for a Celebration on the Hill ambassador was more than 8,000 miles for the ambassadors from Guam.

At the state's National Mall others wandered through the Wall of Hope, a massive structure showcasing 5,000 banners signed by millions of the Society's Relay For Life participants and supporters around the country.

"It's been awe-inspiring," said Paul Richards, a survivor of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who finished attending the event Sept. 20th along with many others.

Even people who weren't participating in the Celebration found inspiration in the Wall of Hope, said a Society rep.

It's the reaction Celebration organizers were counting on, they said.

There were approximately three million signatures on the Wall.

A more poignant display of lights as a symbol of hope took place at the end of the evening when an estimated 17,000 luminaria were lit.

585 people enrolled on the National Mall in the CPS-3 study, there were 225 radio and satellite television interviews and a limited number of radio interviews.