Our annual Lights of Hope ceremony is one of the most visually powerful events I have ever experienced. This year, volunteers brought more than 40,000 Lights of Hope with them to D.C. from every corner of the country. 

I can’t think of a more energizing way to kick off ACS CAN’s lobby day than with a rally hosted by NCAA Division 1 basketball coaches! This morning three current and former NCAA coaches rallied on hundreds of volunteers as they prepared to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill.

I’m can’t wait to look out across the room full of our volunteer leaders and feel their power, energy and enthusiasm as they bring our mission to the halls of Congress.

Today is the start of ACS CAN's signature annual event: our Leadership Summit and Lobby Day. We'll be welcoming more than 750 cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones from all 50 states and nearly every congressional district to Washington, D.C. for three days of training, presentations, media opportunities and, of course, meetings with lawmakers.

In addition to our incredible volunteers, there were a number of VIP guests at this year's Leadership Summit and Lobby Day. Six of them represented the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholars Program,

In addition to the more than 600 cancer patients, survivors and loved ones that ACS CAN had in town this week, we were fortunate to have three Division I NCAA Basketball coaches join us for Lobby Day.

"Palliative care suffers from an identity problem." That's the first line of an important article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today.

At a rally on Tuesday morning with our volunteers, the coaches shared their personal stories and connections to cancer. Each of them also emphasized the importance of Congress restoring funding for cancer research if we're ever going to beat this disease.

Today is the start of ACS CAN's signature annual event: our Leadership Summit and Lobby Day. We'll be welcoming more than 600 cancer patients, advocates, survivors, caregivers and their families from all 50 states and nearly every congressional district to Washington, D.C.