LEGISLATIVE BEAT
Do Your Phone Calls to Congress Make a Difference?
1414 Prince Street, Suite 204, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 548-1225 • www.FightColorectalCancer.org
elected ocials to sponsor legislationhelping colorectal cancer patients.Tina had been diagnosed with stageIV colorectal cancer in 2004. Sadly,last year’s Butt-in phone campaignwould be her last. Tina passed away inDecember 2008 at the age o 45.But Tina’s last battle brought aremarkable victory. Thanks largely toTina’s eorts, Rep. Zack Space(D-OH) received 87 phone calls urginghim to support the Colorectal Cancer
continued on page 6
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4 SUMMER 2008
FROM THE
PRESIDENT’S DESK
........................
2
RESOURCES
What C3 Has to Oer .....................
3
POLICY
2009: Year of the Screening Bill ..
4
ADVOCACY
Meet an Advocate in Action ........
5
Moving towards better care and a cure
C3: MomentumC3: Momentum
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 SPRING 2009
Winning the fght against colorectal cancer
IN THIS ISSUE
By Carlene Canton
On March 31, C3’s annual Butt-in phone campaign will once againblanket Congressional oces with phone calls urging elected ocials toincrease unding to ght colorectalcancer.Phone campaigns are tried and true political action tools—but do theyreally work?People organizing the events knowthey do, which is why they spend
their
time encouraging you to spend
your
time making those calls.For C3’s Director o Policy Joe Arite, who heads up both the Call-onCongress personal visit blitz and theButt-in phone event, the answer issimple.“Each voting American can and shouldmake their voice heard,” he said. “Howelse will legislators know how theirconstituents—especially those whocan’t come to Washington—eel aboutan issue?”But what do organized phone-in eventsmean to members o Congress, andespecially their staers who actually pick up the phone? Has a phonecampaign ever changed a legislator’smind – or vote?C3 advocate Tracy Patrick knowsrst hand that the answer to that lastquestion is a resounding “yes!”Tracy and her sister Tina Kiser workedtirelessly last March to convince their
MAR. 31, 2009
866-615-
3375
Pick Up the Phone! Join C3 for Butt-in Day
On March 31, join orces withadvocates, cancer patients, andriends across the country to makesure Congress hears loud and clearthat voters expect them to takea stand and help ght colorectalcancer.On this single day, we “Butt-in” toCongress’ regular business with aood o phone calls. Last year, C3’sButt-in campaign generated nearly2,000 phone calls. This year we cando even more -- i you help.We make it simple: Call 866-615-3375, enter your zip code at theprompt, and you’ll be directlyconnected to the ofces o yoursenators and representative.Once connected, simply give yourname and say that you want thesenator or representative to supportthe Colorectal Cancer Prevention,Early Detection, and Treatment Act. The more phone callseach ofce receiveson this day, the moreattention to the cause.Invite your riends andamilies across the countryto make calls, too. Formore inormation, check out the C3 website atwww.CoverYourButt.org The Butt-in phonecampaign runs rom 9am to 5:30 pm EDT onMarch 31.
Join us.
www.FightColorectalCancer.org
2
We all know that March is ColorectalCancer Awareness Month. Did you alsoknow that March is National Caeine Awareness Month? And NationalNoodle Month? I’m not making this up.National awareness months are a greatway to start a conversation about a particular need: Apparently, some o us need to be made more aware o the benets o noodles. But I thinkthat national awareness months canresult in change when passionate advocatesuse the month to ocuson changing their world. And that’s what this issueis all about: personal passion.On page 1, get inspiredby sisters Tracy Patrickand Tina Kiser and their personal passion to convince theirlegislators to change their mindsand act on behal o other colorectalcancer patients.On page 5, you’ll read about MariliaSardinha, C3’s new Grassroots ActionCommittee Vice-Chair, and her personal passion, which she oundwhen she stood on the edge o deathand ought her way back. You’ll even
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
Board of Directors
Nancy Roach
,
Board Chair
Alan Balch, Ph.D,
Vice Chair
Greg Crafts,
Treasurer
Robert Erwin,
Board Secretary
Carlea Bauman,
President
Steven Depp, Ph.D. Andrew Giusti, Ph.D.
Medical Review Network
Nancy Baxter, MD, FRCSC
University of Toronto
Al B. Benson III, MD, FACP
Northwestern University
Richard Goldberg, MD
University of North Carolina
Axel Grothey, MD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, FACP
University of Southern California
John Marshall, MD
Georgetown University Medical Center
Howard McLeod, PharmD
University of North Carolina
Neal Meropol, MD
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Edith Mitchell, MD
Thomas Jefferson University
Daniel Sargent, PhD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Joel Tepper, MD
University of North Carolina
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month:Personal Passion in Action
By Carlea Bauman
President
see it on page 7, where Ben Basloe,C3’s new chie undraiser, actually getsexcited about asking people or money,all so that C3 can continue workingtowards its goals. At C3, we see Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month as a reason tocelebrate. Can you imagine ten yearsago, cancer patients walking up thesteps o the U.S. Capitol with thewords “Cover Your Butt” on theirT-shirts? Or even havinga conversation with anelected ocial aboutcolonoscopies?Colorectal cancer patients are no longerhiding in the shadows,ashamed to call theirdisease by name.They are ghtingback against the disease, and againstsocietal pressures to keep quiet aboutthe very thing that threatens theirlives and livelihoods. In act, theyare so passionate about the issuethat thousands o them are willingto literally wear their cause on theirsleeves, and contact their legislators sothat laws may change. Despite the actthat we’ve lost so many loved ones andwill continue to do so until screening iswidespread and a cure is ound, thereis much progress to celebrate thisMarch. I hope you will join us. Also, I hope you’ll join us in theCongressional Butt-in on March 31st(see story on page 1) and use your own personal passion to get your riends,amily, neighbors and co-workers tocall in that day. You just might surprise yoursel with how good it makes youeel.
DON’T FORGET
Get Your Rear In Gear 5K RunRaleigh - March 7Central TX - March 15Philadelphia - March 22www.getyourrearingear.comC3 Call-on CongressWashington, DCMarch 22-25www.FightColorectalCancer.orgC3 Congressional Butt-in866-615-3375March 31www.CoverYourButt.orgPrevent Cancer’s Dialogue for Action inColorectal Cancer Screening ConferenceBaltimore, MDApril 2www.preventcancer.org
National Awarenessmonths can resultin change whenpassionate advocatesfocus on changingtheir world.
C3 Momentum Spring 2009
3
LEGISLATIVE BEAT
RESOURCES
C3 Resources: Communication a Top Priority
Communication is key to relationships.Your relationship with C3 is noexception.“We have some o the best resourcesand most up-to-date inormation in theeld, and we want to make it easy or you to access it,’’ says Carlea Bauman, president o C3.That’s why C3 oers multipleavenues o communicating. We ocuson resources that aren’t availableelsewhere or those aected bycolorectal cancer.Here is an overview o what’s availableat C3. I you don’t nd what you’relooking or, call the C3 Answer Line(877-4CRC-111).
Patients and Survivors
I you’re coping with colorectal cancer, your desire or inormation is probablymatched only by your need or actsthat are meaningul, up-to-date, and notoverwhelming.On the
C3 website, the PatientInformation section
provides actsin layers (under the Awareness &Education heading). Click and readas much as you want and come backor more when you’re ready. You’llnd up-to-date, medically reviewedinormation on diagnosis andtreatment; tips or living with colorectalcancer; ideas or coping emotionally;and ways to deal with the nancialstresses that accompany cancer.The ree 80-page booklet
“Frankly Speaking About ColorectalCancer”
is available by callingthe C3 Answer Line (877-4CRC-111) or ordering online at www.FightColorectalCancer.org/ FranklySpeaking.For questions about your specicsituation, call the
C3 AnswerLine (877-4CRC-111),
or sendan email rom the website. (Underthe Awareness heading, click onC3 Answer Line.) An Answer Line Associate will answer your questionson the spot or do some research andget back to you.
Family and Friends
An inormed circle o amily andriends can help patients coping withcolorectal cancer.
The Awareness & Educationsection on C3’s website
has a wealtho advice about helping people help you. There’s inormation specicallyor amily or riends who must care orthemselves to be able to care or theirloved ones. The website also oerslinks to other reliable resources. Anyone in the extended circle o amily,riends, or advocates helping a lovedone through colorectal cancer can callthe
C3 Answer Line
or help gettinginormation or connections.
Patients and Practitioners ManagingOngoing Disease
Treatments or colorectal cancer areevolving, so prompt and accuratedissemination o research is crucial.You can rely on C3 to monitor andaccurately summarize news related tocolorectal cancer.
The Research section of C3’s website
is a timely and reliableresource. C3’s own Kate Murphy isa 26-year colorectal cancer survivorand a long-time patient advocate. Sheles stories under
Research andTreatment News
about clinical trials,research ndings, FDA warnings, andother news. Readers can comment or pose questions on each article. EveryFriday, the “News in Brie” adds shortreviews o other research and newswith links or more details.The C3 website eatures an
interactive
blog with Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz,
Chair o the Gastrointestinal OncologyProgram at the University o SouthernCaliornia and a member o C3’sMedical Review Network. (See Fromthe Desk o Dr. Lenz under Awareness& Education.) He answers questionssent by readers, and writes otenabout how to get the best quality care(e.g., how to evaluate a surgeon whomight perorm your colorectal cancersurgery).Sign up to receive their posts via emailor RSS at www.FightColorectalCancer.org/subscribe. You can also ollowC3 on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ FightCRC.
continued on page 6Visit www.FightColorectalCancer.org to nd these resources and more.
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C3 Momentum - Spring 2009
Spring 2009 issue of C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition's quarterly newsletter.
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