Every Thanksgiving my family has a tradition of expressing our thanks for our family and friends. We also take a quiet moment to remember those who are no longer physically with us but live on in our hearts. 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. Relay For Life Advocacy through Relay For Life, one of the American Cancer Society's signature events, has been a strategic partnership since 2002. In the years since, the Relay community has helped to recruit hundreds of thousands of action takers, double the number of ACS CAN members and engage other volunteers. Many of the hundreds of advocacy leadership volunteers were introduced to advocacy and ACS CAN through Relay activities at community events.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Advocacy through Making Strides Against Breast Cancer started in 2005 with a need to urge Congress to ensure that all women have access to lifesaving mammograms and screenings with the reauthorization of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). With over 18,000 Strides participants taking action that first year and hundreds of thousands of action takers since the partnership has seen great success.
Colleges Against Cancer The American Cancer Society's Colleges Against Cancer is a way for students to bring the fight against cancer to college campuses while receiving support and guidance from a local Society office. Advocacy is one of four strategic focuses for the structure and activities of each chapter. Colleges Against Cancer chapters have participated in smoke-free campaigns, tobacco tax campaigns and campaigns around affordable health care.
Coaches vs. Cancer Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. Coaches vs. Cancer has partnered with ACS CAN in many ways. Since 2008 a group of coaches have participated in a media event kicking-off ACS CAN's annual Lobby Day with volunteers, media and congressional members and their staff.
Even as Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, ACS CAN will keep working year-round, across the country and with both state and federal lawmakers, to advance the public policies we know will reduce the burden of breast cancer.