Cancer Activists Join Thousands in Yearly Trek to Washington
CancerCape
Cape Cod Times
Paul Crocetti
Boston University Washington News Service
September 21, 2006
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21– Thousands of cancer activists filled the National Mall and corridors of Congress this week, and each had a different story to tell. Some have battled the disease themselves. Some know 10 or 20 people who have had cancer. They all came together to spread awareness of the disease and push for more research-funding.
A group of about 10 people from Southeastern Massachusetts came to take part in Wednesday’s fifth annual “Celebration on the Hill,” organized by the American Cancer Society.
“I represent all the youth from Massachusetts,” said Alexander Cvitan, 14, of Falmouth, who has been in remission from lymphoma for one year. Cvitan, on his first trip to the nation’s capital, said his favorite event was a walk around the Mall called the “survivors’ lap.”
“There were enough people to cover the entire reflecting pool,” he said.
Cvitan’s mother, Brenda, joined him at the event.
“Alex and all these good people are teaching everyone daily,” she said. “He’s my hero daily.”
The group heard from speakers on the Mall, took part in a candle-lighting ceremony and met with U.S. Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass.).
Carol Genatossio, of Harwich, represented all the people she knows who have had cancer. Her shirt was covered in buttons and nametags, each one representing one person who survived or passed away from cancer.
“Every single name on my body is someone I know,” she said.
In the meeting in Delahunt’s office, Genatossio said that her husband is a survivor. She also mentioned why she makes a good volunteer.
“I have a big mouth,” she said, to laughter from the group, referring to the fact that she is outspoken.
Delahunt, coming from a House vote, entered to applause. The congressman knows first-hand the effects of cancer, as his mother died from the disease.
“Cancer really brings us together,” he said. “I know we all have stories. We all know people, some in our immediate family. My mom physically died in my arms.
“Finally, the care receiver was the caregiver,” Delahunt said. “The last few years were wonderful. It had a big impact on me.”
When the topic of funding came up, the congressman made a connection to the amount of money being spent in Iraq.
“If we only spent as much on cancer as…,” he said, not having to finish the thought. “It just provokes outrage.”
This year, the American Cancer Society is calling for more funding in a variety of areas, from the elimination of Medicare co-pays for breast cancer screenings, to grants for State Comprehensive Cancer Control programs.
The society recently announced that for the first time in 70 years of tracking cancer data, the actual number of cancer deaths is declining.
However, according to the society, last year Congress voted to cut the National Institutes of Health budget for the first time in 35 years and to reduce funding for cancer research for the first time in a decade.
“People from every corner of the country who have been touched by cancer are making a strong statement about the importance of the government’s role in the battle against this disease,” said John R. Seffrin, Ph. D., chief executive of the American Cancer Society, in a press release. “Lawmakers need to know that without their support, the war on cancer will not be won.”
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