After Stand Up To Cancer 
I think the greatest thing about Stand Up To Cancer, besides the money it raised for research, was that it helped us all to be aware of the need to support cancer research funding. I think the public response to Stand Up To Cancer (countless celebrities were involved and at least 10 million viewers participated) made the point that Americans care about finding an end to a disease that harms and kills so many of us.
The SU2C web site will remain up and will continue to accept donations, I hope forever. I hope that as the Jerry Lewis telethon has become an annual event that SU2C will continue every year until cancer is defeated.
There is a new pending legislation authored by Senators Kennedy and Hutchison to renew the war on cancer. Senator Kennedy was working on it before his own cancer diagnosis. Cancer had affected his family long ago…his son lost a leg to cancer when he was 12.
You can read more about the bill on this very good link Cancerbill.org. Information there also lets you know ways you can help promote this legislation when it is introduced and moving through Congress. We all need to do our best to help this legislation become reality. You can Sign up For News about this bill.
I have never been a political person or activist, there are times I haven’t even voted, I’m ashamed to say. Prior to a few months ago I never paid attention to pending legislation. I excelled in school, but truly hated government and economics and political science, I suffered through those classes. The political process wasn’t for me.
Becoming involved in the legislative process and writing my representatives is a totally new experience for me. I’m sure I would have been voted by many “least likely to get involved in the political process”. Having been involved with the Scientist-Survivor Program and having communicated with cancer research scientists, though, opened my eyes. Having been in the cancer community so long and seeing so much suffering has truly impacted me. The largest funding source for cancer research is still the Federal government. We need the government to give us more. I’ve even recently become a Legislative Ambassador for the Cancer Action Network.
My small part in writing the letters I’ve written and doing the research I’ve done probably doesn’t make a difference all on it’s own…but if we all did it, we’d be a voice that could not be ignored.
We’ll make a difference if we stand together. Please be involved.
