WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 18, 2018 – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network recently honored Olney resident Polly Sulcer with its Capitol Dome Volunteer of the Year award at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The award is presented to a volunteer who has effectively strengthened ACS CAN’s mission by leading legislative and community action, assisting with media outreach, fundraising and training and motivating others.
“Polly is a vital part of our team, and we wouldn’t be the same without her,” said Maggie Osborne, Illinois grassroots manager for ACS CAN. “She regularly meets with lawmakers, lobbies for research funding and serves her community – all while fighting cancer herself. We’re so grateful for her tireless advocacy.”
The award ceremony was part of ACS CAN’s annual Leadership Summit and Lobby Day, which brought together nearly 700 volunteers and staff from every state and almost every congressional district. Sulcer joined advocates in asking Congress to take specific steps to make cancer a national priority and help end a disease that still kills 1,670 people a day in this country
Sulcer met with the offices of Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL) and U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to discuss the need to support an increase in federal funding for cancer research. She also asked them to co-sponsor legislation that enhances patients’ quality of life and to support legislation that would close a loophole in Medicare that often results in surprise costs for older Americans when a polyp is found during a routine colonoscopy.
“Roughly one in three Americans will hear the words ‘you have cancer’ in their lifetime,” Sulcer said. “We need a full and unwavering commitment from Congress to take action to help prevent and treat cancer. We want our lawmakers to know that volunteers from Illinois and from every state across the country are counting on them to take a stand.”
About ACS CAN
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
