Coaches John Gallagher from the University of Hartford, Jeff Jones from Old Dominion University, Jack Murphy from Northern Arizona University, and Josh Pastner from Georgia Tech University joined ACS CAN volunteers on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to make the fight against cancer a priority.
ACS CAN's Indiana Day at the Capitol event was one of nearly 50 similar events scheduled to take place in almost every state and the District of Columbia between January and May this year. During 2016 state sessions ACS CAN will be working to convince lawmakers to pass comprehensive smoke-free laws, increase tobacco taxes, improving the quality of life for cancer patients, prohibit the use of tanning devices for minors and guarantee access to health care and lifesaving cancer screenings.
In addition to the more than 600 cancer patients, survivors and loved ones that ACS CAN had in town this week, we were fortunate to have three Division I NCAA Basketball coaches join us for Lobby Day.
At a rally on Tuesday morning with our volunteers, the coaches shared their personal stories and connections to cancer. Each of them also emphasized the importance of Congress restoring funding for cancer research if we're ever going to beat this disease.
Tobacco has no place in athletics, and certainly not at any of the nation's premiere sporting events that are very popular and widely televised. That's why I'm incredibly grateful to advocates from a coalition of 10 public health groups, including ACS CAN, who were the driving force behind the Orange Bowl Committee's and National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) recent decision to cancel Camacho Cigars' sponsorship of the Orange Bowl, which will be played tonight.
At ACS CAN, we are thankful for the advocacy work our many partners do every day to help our mission of making cancer a national priority with lawmakers. As the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, we are fortunate to have the following as just some of our program partners who are fighting back against cancer.
Anyone who meets me learns pretty quickly that I am a huge sports fan. So it was a privilege to share the stage with three NCAA Division I basketball coaches on Tuesday for our Coaches vs.