I emailed ACS in regards to the University Smoke Out and the event in Nov for Breast Cancer here is her response. Feel free to respond to her if you like.
Thank you so much for your email. I do understand the concern as lung cancer has hit my immediate family the hardest, taken my best friend, and less than one week ago took a friend's father who hadn't smoked a day in his life. I have experienced more loss to lung cancer in 5 years than most people would have in two life times. So, I hope from all of the loss that I have encountered you can believe me when I tell you that I understand. The opportunity came to us before our Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in October. We decided purely because the walk is in Aurora to have the Walter Payton's night benefit Strides. Originally, the Walter Payton's night was supposed to be a lot closer to the event in October but has bad to be pushed back. We decided since we originally told our volunteers and participants that the event would benefit Strides to stay true to our word even though it had been pushed back into lung cancer awareness month.
Three colleges and three highschools across our region will be holding the our Great American Smoke Out event which some will have a fundraising component as well. I am honored and humbled everyday to see all of the lung cancer survivors walking proud. Lung Cancer research is still in the top three nationally funded research areas with the ACS and that gives me hope. Since it's discovery in the 60's of the link from smoking to cancer, the ACS over 40 years later puts its funding in the top three. I don't know about you but, even with all of the loss in my life to lung cancer, it gives me hope.
I hope that you don't lose faith in the American Cancer Society because we work tirelessly to one day find a cure to ALL cancers as we know that every single type of cancer is different- some more complex to treat than others. We are always open for your comments and concerns. Please let me know if there is anything that I or we can do for you.
Thank you,
Stephanie Edwards
Income Development Representative
American Cancer Society
Fox Valley Region
143 First Street
Batavia, IL 60510
630-879-9009
Stephanie.Edwards@CANCER.ORG
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ACS Response
- By Chi-Dreamer
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 9:13 am · 16 replies
- In Lung cancer in the news
- Shared with the public
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16 replies
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- By patriciad
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 9:54 am
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Oh boy. Do you feel like you are hitting a brick wall? Does anybody understand that the great American smokeout will not help the Dana Reeves, the Chelseas, the thousands of other people who never smoked or quit smoking years ago? I will email her and share my story/frustration. May help-will make me feel like I am doing something anyway.
Pat
- By BetsyT
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 10:17 am
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The wheels for LC Awareness are already in motion.
The ACS will go to any length to sabotage this.
We, the cancer survivors ,are ALONE in fighting this money making machine known as ACS.
It's time we educate ourselves & the Amer. public to this "Perfect Crime". NO MORE-My letters to newspapers are going out.
American CANCEROUS Society MUST be stopped.
- By BetsyT
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 11:00 am
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P.S.
Gross oversight on my part. I failed to add We, the cancer survivors AND our loved ones are alone in this fight. Mea culpa...
- By Chi-Dreamer
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 11:31 am
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Yep Thank Goodness for Our Lung Cancer Alliance.
The Miller signs are up at the Turners Club and the Marquee out front also announces November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Is there any way I can post pictures on this site besides my profile. I guess I will post them on Facebook
- By AliceL
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 11:36 am
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I have to admit I don't see anything wrong with a Great American Smoke Out. It seems to me that the problem is linking it with Lung Cancer and LC Awareness Month. I wouldn't have a clue how to start, but it would seem to me that moving LC Awareness Month to a completely different month might be a good idea -- get it away from the Smoke Out, and also it wouldn't then be following or actually in some cases it seems "overlapping" Breast Cancer Month. Does anyone know how these "months" get assigned?
- By bayrealtor
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 12:20 pm
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Its a complete JOKE!
Every corp fatcat sitting behind their desks will approve pink "anything" because its POPULAR with the public....that simple. When it comes to Lung Cancer it seems very few realize anyone can get this monster....ANYONE....smoker/non smoker/never smoker. They only think it is caused by smoking.
So there is this problem folks. The country has an opinion that if you got luncer, you smoked....well, it's too bad and we wish you luck but it's your own fault.
In addition, many who have lung cancer are in their 60s+ so there is a felling of "well, you have lived a long life so...........and finally, most who have lung cancer are not around after a few years to keep getting the word out. It is a shame that the public looks at it this way but they do and they will have to be pushed and pushed with facts till they understand.
20% of women getting lung cancer have NEVER smoked....the stats go on and on.....still I get feedback like "well, they must have been around second hand smoke." Im sick and tired of it but will never stop informing people.
Cathy goes in for her Avastin last Wed. Nov, 4th and there is a big board on the wall saying OCTOBER is Breast cancer awareness month! I went to the manager and told her it is a great looking board and now it needs to change to NOV. is Lung Cancer Awareness month and gave her and two other chemo nurses a white bracelet that says Lung Cancer Awareness. They all put on the bracelets at once!
God Bless you all my friends,
Bill & Cathy
- By patriciad
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 4:41 pm
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Okay, I wrote to the person at ACS who you corresponded with-Stephanie Edwards. I wish I knew how to navigate the computer better so I could print my letter and her response. I essentially told her everything that we all know-the disappointing survival rates compared to other cancers, the ridiculously low funding, the need for screening for high risk people and the need to get the word out that there are many people who don't smoke that get lung cancer.
Her response was to maybe all of us get together and sell blankets(pearl color of course),maybe a restaurant night where proceeds go to LC. Then she said that we could donate the $$ to ACS and earmark it for LC. Is it me or is something REALLY wrong with this picture? I get so frustrated -I feel like I am talking to a wall. She did suggest to get local media to cover these events. Funny though, there is no plan to get it more of anything-funding or publicity. Don't know if I can continue battling that group. Totally ignorant.
Pat
- By Chi-Dreamer
- Posted November 6, 2009 at 5:05 pm
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Pat,
Stephanie copied me in her reply. At least she acknowledged the lack of exposure the past Decade!
Yeah I like how we should co-ordinate and give them the $$. Wait, they will give us literature.
Here is the response:
Thank you so much for communicating with me about your thoughts regarding lung cancer awareness month. I do agree that over the past decade the amount of exposure this very important month gets is minimal and could use more exposure. We need to be working more with our volunteers, event participants, and constituents more with awareness months.
I do have an idea. Some of our participants will do large fundraisers and it that they event get media coverage in the paper or on local radio. You can earmark any money donated to ACS. So, you can specify that the donation can do to lung cancer research. Would you guys be willing to coordinate something like that this month? An idea was having a local restaurant donate proceeds of a drink special on a certain night to the ACS which you can specify to go to a certain area. Also, you could sell pearl colored blankets, ribbons or items in honor of lung cancer awareness month. With fundraisers like this, you can tailor you message to being that lung cancer can still happen even if you don't smoke. Working with your local media can really help get the message out as well. We can provide literature as well.
- By Tobydoodle
- Posted November 7, 2009 at 7:21 pm
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It is interesting the the ACS representative did not mention that to earmark any donation to a specific cancer the amount has to be at least $4500. Hmm, I am wondering if the omission was
accidental....Somehow I doubt it.
- By jazzbo
- Posted November 7, 2009 at 9:02 pm
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In the last couple of years either I or someone else on here wrote to ACS about the lack of money,funding,exposure lung cancer gets from them and there response was: We only receive so much in donations , so we have to allocate the funds to where we will get the most bang for our dollar. I mean common sense tells You know the recipient is Breast Cancer. I'll never give a dime to them never. John
- By Chi-Dreamer
- Posted November 8, 2009 at 12:23 am
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Seems to me the most bang for their buck would be Lung Cancer considering we have the most people affected. Which means we have the most family, friends and affiliates that are aware of us. They know the numbers, so where is their common sense?
Linda
- By lovlyles
- Posted November 8, 2009 at 12:43 pm
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I just put my 2 cents worth in to Stephanie from ACS. I'm so upset about it that my hands are shaking so much that it is hard to type. I told her that I didn't expect a response from her and if I did, wouldn't like what it said anyway. More and more people are getting the word that ACS is not a good organization.
- By Joycen
- Posted November 8, 2009 at 2:08 pm
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Would love to see the ACS response if this situation was reversed and there was a big event for lung cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness month and no other recognition of breast cancer.
Anyone wanting to donate to ACS might want to take a look at their history. Trying to figure out their funding is a huge challenge. You almost have to go grant by grant. An interesting read which talks about it is "The Secret History of the War on Cancer" by Devra Davis.
Re: The Great American Smokeout - Having it during Lung Cancer Awareness Month reinforces the impression that smoking is basically just about lung cancer. People don't think they have to worry about lung cancer if they never smoked. They think they know all they need to know about lung cancer. Believe me the link between lung cancer and smoking is indelibly scribed in the public's mind. We need to stand united that The Great American Smokeout is NOT sufficient recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
- By BetsyT
- Posted November 8, 2009 at 5:33 pm
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Joyce,
Nice to see you back.
If you would love to hear of the situation you described above-I will give you my first hand experience.( Unbelievable & too long to account here)As for the GASO-I would like to find out if there is a ques.& answer period ( I've never been so I need to know) and if so, we ALL need to show up & "out" these oppressors & ASK POINT BLANK-Why during LCAM, is lack of screening, funding, research $$$'s & overall awareness of the #1 killer ignored by the largest cancer instution in the world??? We must start planting the seeds of doubt in the minds of the Amer. public. PUBLICLY-It is ACS's turn to bear the onus of shame.
This has gone on long enough.
A prominent physician stated at the Nat. LC symposium on the Stigma of LC:
"The stigmatization of LC is a consequence of effective antismoking campaigns." C'mon guys wake up...
No more oppression,no more shame, no more excuses for ACS, no more LC.I believe our advocacy is 2 fold-We must raise awareness & we must stop the oppressors. Betsy
- By jazzbo
- Posted November 8, 2009 at 8:23 pm
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We have to not be quiet in our response to anyone. The more we say it out loud and in public the more people will listen or at least eavesdrop! LOL
- By LTLCS
- Posted November 8, 2009 at 8:42 pm
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Isn't EVERY MONTH Breast Cancer Month?
I just want to pat all of you on the backs for ALL THE HARD WORK YOUR DOING. (been there done that). I have stories regarding ACS that would make your skin crawl. But we are heading South for the winter right now and I don't have time to share them with you. I just know how FRUSTRATING and MADDENING this all is. I've said it once and I'll say it a million times, I wouldn't walk across the street to give ACS a penny.
Stephanie, I have been following your letter stories and You just ROCK my friend. I'm sorry they are slapping you in the face as they do everyone of us dealing with lung cancer. GUURRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs,
Connie
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