LANSING — The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) honored Portland resident Beth Trierweiler with its Advocacy Volunteer of the Year award recently in Lansing.
“Beth serves a key role within ACS CAN with great passion and commitment,” said Matt Phelan, Michigan grassroots manager for ACS CAN. “She is always there when you need her and consistently goes above and beyond our expectations of volunteers. As a cancer survivor, she uses her voice to passionately advocate for those who no longer can. Our team would certainly not be the same without her hard work and persistence.”
The award recognizes the exemplary efforts of an individual who helps ACS CAN advocate for responsible public health policies and laws that will help fight cancer.
The award ceremony was part of ACS CAN’s annual Day at the Capitol, which brought together cancer advocates like Trierweiler to urge lawmakers to make cancer a top legislative priority.
“Cancer death rates continue to decrease nationwide, but we still haven’t fully implemented proven ways to prevent the disease in the first place,” Trierweiler said. “Too many Michiganders will still lose their lives to cancer in 2018. We’re here today to ask lawmakers to help cancer patients better access lifesaving treatment options and screenings and to confront one of the leading causes of premature death in our state — tobacco use.”
After months of delay and hard negotiations, Congress has finally passed a funding bill! The bill includes a small increase for cancer research and prevention programs.