Live Blogging from Capitol Hill Today

Sept. 27 @ 7:43 p.m. Wow! What an amazing end to the afternoonŠ—”the Champions of Change event at the Old Executive Office Building at the White House. I was invited, along with breast cancer survivors and advocates from ACS CAN and 2 other organizations, to participate in a discussion of what needs to be done related to breast cancer. Each of the organizations had 5 members on the panel, which was moderated by Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff of First Lady Michelle Obama. I was so proud to be with these women who are advocates for change in their communities and on the national stage. Cancer research, access to quality care, access to clinical trials, and prevention and screeningŠ—”each topic was raised and discussed and I feel confident that progress will continue and maybe even accelerate. Then it was back to the hotel for the Diamond CelebrationŠ—”dinner and music by One Night Rodeo. Next we will be heading out to the Capitol Reflecting Pool for the Lights of Hope ceremony. Special thanks to the Wisconsin team: David Lauer, Kirby Davidson, Karen Humphrey, Angie Simaytis, Kay Wolferstetter, Sandy Bernier, and Steve Clay, and the Wisconsin staff Sara Sahli and Allison Miller. I know our voices were heard when we talked to our legislatorsŠ—È staff about making cancer a budget priority by maintaining funding for cancer research, prevention, screening and control programs. And thanks so much to ACS CAN for the opportunity to share my experiences through this blog. It was such a great day from early morning to later this eveningŠ—”please consider joining the ACS CAN! Add your voices to mine! Sept. 27 @ 3:18 p.m. I finished my meetings on the House side, wrapping up with a meeting with Rep. Ribble's Legislative Assistant, Christy Paavola. Now I'm off to the Old Executive Office Building, right by the White House, for the Champions of Change event which is focusing on the breast cancer. I am SO excited and will include some of the info about it in another blog post. We also found time to have my favorite treat, an espresso shake, in the Creamery in the Longworth House Office Building. Sept. 27 @ 12:21 p.m. Lunch at the Supreme Court is a great reward for completing our Senate meetings. Deborah Weigel, Legislative Correspondent for Senator Johnson, listened carefully to our stories, highlighting the need for continued funding for cancer research. Now our team is splitting up for our meetings on the House side. Two by two, with support from our staff. Go, team! Sept. 27 @ 11:24 a.m. Our first meeting was with Kristin Rzeczkowski, Legislative Aide for Sen. Kohl. Sen. Kohl has been a huge supporter of cancer research funding as well as screening & prevention programs, and we were assured of his continued support. Whew! Good start to our Lobby Day! We then went down to Celebrate with Action area, near the Capitol Reflecting Pool, and attended the Coaches Vs. Cancer event. I'm so impressed that these college basketball coaches are here to add their passion and their stories to ours as we meet with legislators. Next up is our meeting in Sen. Ron Johnson's office. Sept. 27 @ 7:35 a.m. I'm doing a live interview with the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) ABC affiliate, WISN TV. I'll be explaining what ACS CAN is all about, our focus on making cancer research funding a priority, and a milestone stories collected by volunteers from all over the country -- milestones that people were able to experience thanks to cancer research. My milestone is that I'm alive to share retirement with my husband, Kevin! Sept. 26, 2011 @ 3:01 p.m. Hello, I'm Kathi Hansen. I'm at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Leadership Summit today, learning more about cancer research and the importance of maintaining funding so that critical breakthroughs in the understanding and treatment of cancer don't get left in the lab. So much promising work is being done! Tomorrow, when I'm on Capitol Hill with all my fellow volunteer advocates, I will be educating our legislators of the need to make cancer a national priority and persuading then that money invested in cancer research, screening, prevention, and treatment saves lives and is money well-spent. I will also be blogging about all of this and more tomorrow so be sure to check back throughout the day to see how ACS CAN and I are fighting back against cancer.   Sept. 26, 2011 @ 2:04 p.m. Wisconsin volunteer Kathi Hansen will be live blogging during her busy day on Capitol Hill tomorrow. ξFrom conducting live radio interviews to attending a breast cancer event at the White House to meeting with Members of Congress, she'll be sharing her experiences. Come back to this page throughout the day tomorrow to be part of this exciting day.