LS&LD Information
Take some time to familiarize yourself with our resources and activities
- Agenda
- Pre-event Trainings
- Event Materials
- Activities Related to LS&LD
- FAQs
- Expenses
- Maps & Directions
- Home
Leadership Summit and Lobby Day > FAQs
Thank you for registering to attend ACS CAN Leadership Summit & Lobby Day (LS&LD)! In preparation for your participation, below are the answers to some frequently asked questions about our event.
What exactly is Leadership Summit & Lobby Day (LS&LD)
LS&LD is an extraordinary opportunity to network, to learn, and most of all to represent the millions of people across our country who are impacted by this disease. During the Leadership Summit we prepare our volunteers and staff to advocate for cancer patients and their families on Capitol Hill and plan for the year ahead. Tuesday is Lobby Day, when our volunteers meet with their congressional delegation to make specific asks to address the needs of cancer patients, their caregivers, and families. We shorthand Leadership Summit & Lobby Day as LS&LD.
What is the Hope Walk?
Hope Walk is our DC-based Lights of Hope display. This is an opportunity for LS&LD participants to display their Lights of Hope in conjunction with the event. There will be no ceremony this year, but instead participants will view a display of Lights set up around the pond at Constitution Gardens. There will be a refreshment tent, video footage of displays from across the country, an interactive activity, and many great photo opportunities.
How will I know what to do?
We ask all attendees to participate in the full agenda! This includes our breakout sessions, state specific Hill prep, Tuesday’s Hill meetings and Wednesday’s regional planning time. Optional events that we encourage you to attend include Monday’s ticketed CAN Opener (an evening of dinner and dancing!), our silent auction, and Tuesday’s Hope Walk on the National Mall.
What does ACS CAN provide related to the event?
ACS CAN provides or covers the cost of all meals in transit to and from the event, as well as during the event itself; lodging in our host hotel; ground transportation, rail and/or flights from your home to the host hotel and venues related to the event including meetings on Capitol Hill and our Hope Walk on the National Mall. ACS CAN will also provide our signature blue polo to all participants who are attending LS&LD for the first time and have never otherwise received one.
Are there any specific items I should pack for LS&LD?
Previous attendees recommend participants pack a lightweight bag you can carry over your shoulder on Tuesday, a travel-size umbrella, a shawl or lightweight jacket, and anything that will help you wear your mask for long periods (Chapstick, mask extenders, anti-fog wipes for eyeglasses). If you are attending the CAN Opener on Monday night, you should also bring a birthday hat to participate in the birthday party theme of the event! Due to recent challenges in the airline industry, we encourage folks traveling by plane to pack as many items as possible in their carry-ons.
What should I wear each day of the event?
LS&LD is business casual. We encourage all participants to dress for air conditioning and, specifically, hotel conference air conditioning (layers)! On Tuesday, all participants should plan on wearing the ACS CAN signature blue polo. It pairs well with brown, black, and deep blue pants/skirts. Participants should plan on doing a lot of walking in the hotel and on Capitol Hill – all Hill staff expect you to wear comfortable walking shoes…it is a DC-staple!
How do I get to my Hill meetings on Tuesday?
We have two great options for getting to Capitol Hill! The Washington, DC metro system is easy to navigate from our hotel. Follow the signs from our lobby to get to either the Red Line (use the Union Station metro stop to get to your Senate meetings) or the Blue/Orange/Silver lines (will drop you at Capitol South station for House-side meetings). There is an ADA elevator for the metro 1.5 blocks from the hotel near 12th & G Streets, across from Macys.
Our other option is to use the coach buses that ACS CAN has contracted for the day. These buses are for any registered participant and can accommodate all mobility needs. The bus will pick up/drop off from the 10th Street side of the hotel (duck down the hallway near the hotel’s front desk) and drop off/pick up at Peace Circle near the Capitol. The buses will loop until 5:30pm and there will be bus personnel to assist both at the hotel and at the Capitol.
What items can visitors bring into House and Senate office buildings?
Before entering House and Senate office buildings, all visitors are screened by a magnetometer and all items that are permitted inside the building are screened via x-ray. The following items are prohibited: liquid, including water; food or beverages of any kind, including fruit and unopened packaged food; aerosol containers; non-aerosol spray (prescriptions for medical needs are permitted); any pointed object (i.e., knitting needles, letter openers, etc. Note: pens and pencils are permitted.); any bag larger than 18" wide x 14" high x 8.5" deep; electric stun guns, martial arts weapons, or devices; guns, replica guns, ammunition, and fireworks; knives of any size; mace and pepper spray; razors and box cutters.
How will I know when my congressional meetings are scheduled?
Registered participants will receive their congressional meeting schedules on Thursday, September 8 via email. Meetings will be scheduled in Eastern Time, and there is a chance that your meeting time may change. Changes to your meeting time will be communicated quickly through online resources.
If I see a virtual meeting on my Tuesday schedule, what is the best way for me to participate?
Participants with virtual meetings on their schedule for Tuesday can take those meetings from any location they choose using their smartphone and the link provided in the Soapbox mobile tool. We have also reserved space in the hotel and on Capitol Hill for participants who prefer to use a laptop. In the hotel, please check in with our staff at the info desk for more information. Once on Capitol Hill, you can find us and our laptops at the Methodist Building near the Supreme Court until 5pm – please consult the map in your packet.
Where and when is the Hope Walk?
Our DC Hope Walk will take place on Tuesday evening, 7pm-9pm, at Constitution Gardens. This is on the National Mall near the Washington Monument. Buses will be on hand to take participants from the hotel to the Hope Walk and back. If there is inclement weather, we will move the display and activities to the hotel ballroom.
Will I have time for remote work and/or touring DC during the event?
The costs associated with hosting LS&LD are significant, and all participants are expected to participate fully in the event as outlined in our agenda, including all plenary and breakout sessions on Monday and Wednesday. We understand much has changed in the last few years making remote work possible anywhere. The event has been carefully crafted to maximize our time together. On Tuesday, volunteers will be grouped by state and attend several meetings over the course of the day. While a volunteer will not be a primary participant of each meeting, their participation is required to support their fellow volunteers. Because of the nature of scheduling meetings with Hill representatives, schedules can change even at the last minute, and we are asking volunteers to have as much flexibility in the day as they can. If your availability changes and you are not able to participate in all aspects of the event, please update your staff partner.
What protections are in place given the ongoing pandemic?
This year, all event participants are required to show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test in advance of travel. We are also requiring indoor masking except while actively eating. All participants are asked to report symptoms and isolate if they begin showing symptoms while on site. We will have a COVID compliance officer on site to help answer questions and address concerns.
How do I test for COVID?
On Friday, Septurday 9 or Saturday, September 10, all participants should use an at-home rapid antigen test (nasal swab or spit test). After the results develop, take a photo of your completed test strip and upload that image to Cleared4 through the link that will be sent to you on Friday morning. ACS CAN will reimburse the cost of the test if it is not covered by insurance.
What is the process if I test positive for COVID?
If you test positive as part of your preparations for attending LS&LD, or if you are experiencing symptoms before you arrive to the venue, we ask you to please cancel your travel reservation by calling the airline and also email your staff partner and [email protected] to cancel your room and registration. (If you’re not feeling well or are having trouble cancelling your travel, please just mention that in your email to Katie.) ACS CAN colleagues: please log into Concur to cancel your flight. If you are already en route, please continue masking and do not come into the event. Please call or text your staff partner to let us know. If symptoms begin or you test positive after you have checked into the hotel, please remain in your room but contact your staff partner and/or Katie Riley. ACS CAN will work with you to provide supplies and support. Please do not come into the event space.
How should I handle delays or cancellations with my travel?
If your flight gets cancelled/delayed on Sunday while you are in route to our event, our advice is to immediately move to the customer service line for your airline while assessing the situation. If the cancellation seems to be fixable by rebooking on another flight, you can call our travel agency, BCD, at 800.952.5770 but you may be put into a long queue on a Sunday. You will likely experience shorter wait times by calling the airline for which you are booked while standing in the customer service line and working with whoever can help you first. This same advice also applies to delays/cancellations on your way home on Wednesday. If you need emergency lodging, first please try to get the voucher from the airline: the airline can often help secure your room faster than we can. Otherwise, please reach out to your staff partner or BCD to assist.
What expenses can be reimbursed?
ACS CAN will reimburse costs incurred in transit to/from the event including mileage ($0.14/mile); parking; meals up to $100 not otherwise provided (no individual meal should cost more than $35 including tax and tip); baggage fees (one bag check each way); and ground transportation to/from airports (we ask most participants to use public transport when able). We will reimburse for any COVID test that is not covered by insurance. We require receipts for most purchases including bag check fees and cannot accept a credit card statement as a receipt. All receipts must be itemized.
What expenses cannot be reimbursed?
We cannot reimburse for alcohol; meal expenses over $100; gratuities over 20%; or ground transportation for dinner/activities during our free evenings. We cannot reimburse for souvenirs or supplies that are used during the normal course of a day. We do not reimburse for snacks/coffee/bottled beverages when alternative options have been provided as part of the event.
What is the guidance to submit expenses?
All expenses must be submitted by Friday, October 14. Participants should electronically attach receipts and complete the form and then send the form electronically to [email protected]. If you need assistance with digitizing your expenses, please work with your state staff partner. All expenses must be itemized and supported with receipts.
What is the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)?
ACS CAN (pronounced “A-C-S Can”) is the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. We support evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority by giving ordinary people extraordinary power with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.