Happy New Year's Eve

Relay Leadership Conference

2020 Relay Leadership Conference

Let’s get ready for the 2020 Relay season!

The event is a training opportunity which will be inspirational, impactful, and energizing. Each Relay's Event Leadership Team is welcome to have four members attend the event (generally the Core four attend: Event Lead, Bring the People Lead, Fund the Mission Lead, and Build the Fun Lead).

The conference will consist of three general sessions and two breakout sessions. The interactive training will allow time to network and share best practices with other volunteers, gather fresh ideas, and gain additional knowledge about your life saving, fundraising efforts as Relay For Life volunteers.

We cannot wait to spend the day with you!

General Information:

·         February 8, 2020

·         9:00am - 3:00pm (Registration opens at 8:30am)

·         Livermore, CA

·         Dress is Relay casual - be sure to show off your favorite Relay gear!

·         All attendees must be registered and are expected to attend the entire day (please contact your Staff Partner for registration information).

What To Bring:

·         Excitement for your 2020 Relay

·         Your business cards to share your contact information as you network with other Relayers

·         Questions, concerns, or anything you would like support with for your Relay

·         A list of your Relay’s 2019 & 2020 teams (if you are the Bring The People Lead)

·         Any current or upcoming fundraisers you would like to share

Happy Kwanza

Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukkah

Happy Winter Solstice

Neuroendocrine Patient Conference

2020 San Francisco Bay Area NET Patient Conference

Neuroendocrine Cancer Patients and their families are invited on Sunday, March 8, 2020 for a day of discussion on the latest developments in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) research and treatment. Topics will range from discovery and diagnosis through treatment and living with cancer, and feature experts from Stanford, UCSF and other institutions from around the world. The conference is open to patients, caregivers and those interested in NETs.

We are honored to have as our keynote speaker, Rebecca Katz, chef and author of numerous cookbooks, including "The Cancer Fighting Kitchen."

The conference will be on the campus of Stanford University, hosted by Stanford Medicine's Neuroendocrine Tumor Program and NorCal CarciNET Community.

Room Block - We were able to secure rooms at the Crowne Plaza, Palo Alto for $109 for Saturday, March 7th. To book your room click here.

*Shared from NorCal CarciNET Community.

Weight Loss Linked To Prevention Of Breast Cancer

Excited to share a recent study led by Dr. Lauren Teras, a CPS investigator at the American Cancer Society. This study is the largest to date demonstrating the benefits of even modest weight loss in breast cancer prevention. Click here to see the story on TODAY (NBC NEWS).

*Taken from the Cancer Prevention Study - 3 Facebook Page.

Amazon Smile

The American Cancer Society recently received a quarterly donation of $77,048.07 thanks to customers shopping at smile.amazon.com. To date, AmazonSmile has donated a total of $807,563.33 to the American Cancer Society. 

To be part of giving back while shopping on Amazon, select the American Cancer Society as your charity of choice through the AmazonSmile program. It's a simple and automatic way for you to support the American Cancer Society every time you shop.

We saved the breast cancer stamp!

Just two months ago, the future of the breast cancer stamp was in jeopardy. The stamp that’s raised nearly $90 million for breast cancer research was in danger of being discontinued.

But then, ACS CAN volunteers got involved. This messages and actions helped spark new life for the stamp, convincing Congress to take last-minute steps to ensure the stamp would continue on.

Congratulations on this great victory and thank you for taking action to make this happen.

The science is clear - cancer research saves lives. And your work to save the stamp will help save more lives from breast cancer.

For all the mothers and daughters out there, the aunts and nieces, and also the men who get diagnosed with this disease, thank you.

Korinne Moore Berenson
Senior Director, Grassroots Campaigns
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)

P.S. Interested in seeing other ways you can save more lives from breast cancer and all cancer? Follow ACS CAN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated on all the ways you can get involved.

Cancer Support During the Holidays

Feelings of depression, anxiety, and fear are common and are normal responses to the life-changing experience of cancer. Dealing with cancer during the holidays can increase these emotions for patients, caregivers and families. American Cancer Society’s Cancer Information Specialists are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (even on holidays) to talk to anyone who needs a friendly ear or cancer related resources.

Cancer never takes a holiday. On Dec 24-25, nearly 3,000 people will call the American Cancer Society for help. And we’ll be there for them. We’re the only cancer organization available to patients 24/7. Call us at 1.800.227.2345 or chat us via www.cancer.org.

Help Celebrate More Birthdays

High School student Kristion from Tigard, Organ survived a huge cancerous tumor last year. Later this month he will be celebrating his birthday, however with the high cost of medical treatment the family doesn't have the ability to throw a party. The family would love the Relay community to mail him birthday cards to the address below. Thank you to all Relayers who support the American Cancer Society's Mission to celebrate more birthdays!

Happy Birthday Kristion

c/o Relay For Life of Tigard-Tualatin: American Cancer Society

0330 SW Curry Street 

Portland, OR 97239 

*Shared from Kelly Parker's post on the Relay For Life Community Facebook Group.

Thank You Hope Lodge

The American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Salt Lake City received this thank you note from a cancer patient that stayed with them and they want to share it will all American Cancer Society volunteers and fundraisers.

Christmas came early for the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Lexington! Thanks to their continued partnership with the Lexington Cancer Foundation, they were gifted this brand new 2019 Dodge Caravan! After more than 32,000 trips with their old van, they were ready for an upgrade. The staff and volunteers at the Lexington Hope Lodge are thankful to have this resource available to continue to provide rides to their guests.

Each American Cancer Society Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their caregivers a free place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows guests to focus on getting better. Hope Lodge provides a nurturing, home-like environment where guests can retreat to private rooms or connect with others. Every Hope Lodge also offers a variety of resources and information about cancer and how best to fight the disease. 

Currently, there are more than 30 Hope Lodge locations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Accommodations and eligibility requirements may vary by location. Find out more about Hope Lodges, the Hotel Partnership Program, and Extended Stay American's Keys For Hope Program (which is available in the San Francisco Bay Area).

Holiday Giving

Just want to share the fundraising that Relay For Life of the Delta, CA is doing. I LOVE the idea of donating in someone's honor for the holidays!

National Cocoa Day

International Universal Health Coverage Day

International Universal Health Coverage Day (UHC) seeks to promote universal health care through insurance. Health Coverage by health insurance is when an organization provides the costs or means for medical care. Health insurance is beneficial for those who are unable to pay for medical treatment or medicine as they are typically expensive. This observance is promoted by the United Nations. Learn how ACS CAN is helping make Health Coverage accessible. 

Celebrating HPV prevention work across the nation

​

Champions recognized in 25 states for their work to increase vaccination rates

The American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) recently announced the 2019 HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention Champion award winners. This year, champions were honored from 25 states (not all states participate). The winners were notified last week. 

This award was established in 2017 to recognize clinicians, clinics, practices, groups, and health systems that are going above and beyond to foster HPV vaccination in their communities. State and territorial immunization program managers coordinate the nomination and review process. Champions must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Adolescent Health: The candidate must be a clinician, clinic, practice, group, or health system that treats adolescents as part of their overall population.
• Vaccination Rates: The candidate must reach the target series completion rate of 60% for the patient population aged 13–15 years. The rate must account for both female and male patients. Vaccination under the two-dose schedule (two doses given at least five months apart in children ages 9–14 years old) satisfies series completion, as does the original three-dose schedule.

In addition, Champions should meet one or more of the following judging criteria:

• Leadership: The candidate is considered an authority on HPV vaccination. 
• Collaboration: The candidate has worked to build support for and increase HPV vaccination rates in their adolescent population. 
• Innovation: The candidate has used creative or innovative strategies to promote HPV vaccination or address challenges to HPV vaccination in their practice, health system, community, state, or region. 

Congratulations to California winner Raymond Perry, MD. Dr. Raymond Perry is a pediatrician and the director of Hubert H. Humphrey Comprehensive Health Center, an outpatient primary and specialty care center within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS). To learn more about Dr. Raymond Perry and the other champions read the winner spotlights.

*Re-posted from MySocietySource.

Year-end Giving Campaign

A nonprofit's year-end giving campaign is often one of the most important fundraising efforts they take on throughout the year. Because 30% of all annual charitable donations take place in December, the end-of-year fundraising push is a crucial chance to connect with supporters and secure vital fundraising dollars. Don't miss asking your community to donate this season!

Updated Resources for 2020

The American Cancer Society has come out with new resources for Relay, check out my favorites below and on the side bar! (All available at ACS Brand Toolkit.)

Congratulations to Jessica and her DetermiNation!

Our very own American Cancer Society Community Manager, Jessica Ruiz Acs participating in the California International Marathon this weekend running 26.2 in 4 hours and 12 minutes (that 9 minute 37 second per mile average. As part of the American Cancer Society's DetermiNation Team (and as an amazing staff partner), Jessica ran in memory and in honor of two special people who are part of one of the Relay For Life events she supports. 

“Alexa, open American Cancer Society!”

Thanks to an app on Alexa, users can learn about five types of cancer

Now customers of the popular smart speaker, Amazon Echo (aka Alexa), can bring American Cancer Society content and services to life by enabling the American Cancer Society Alexa Skill, a voice-driven capability that provides a more personal experience with the device. Specifically, the American Cancer Society Alexa Skill provides Alexa customers the opportunity to ask questions and learn about cancer types, symptoms, and treatment, in addition to learning about the services ACS provides like Hope Lodge, Road To Recovery, Reach To Recovery, cancer.org, and our 24/7 cancer information line. 

The American Cancer Society Alexa Skill, essentially an app on the Alexa platform, allows consumers to ask common questions about five cancer types - breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, and skin - and understand the basics of treatment options.   

Information on each cancer topic area begins when Alexa is engaged by stating “Alexa, open American Cancer Society.” Each cancer topic sets users on a path to learn more information on that particular topic and allows customers to ask questions such as:

• “What is cancer?”
• “Is cancer contagious?”
• “Tell me about cancer surgery.”
• “What are the signs and symptoms of lung cancer?”

The American Cancer Society is working continuously to add additional cancer content to increase the depth and breadth of American Cancer Society information available to consumers.

Learn more by visiting this dedicated page on Amazon, or by simply saying, “Alexa, open American Cancer Society.”

*Re-posted from MySocietySource.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

#MyCauseMyCleats

Right now San Francisco 49ers players Ronald Blair, CJ Beathard, and K'Waun Williams are take the field to honor their loved ones touched by cancer by participating in this year's #MyCauseMyCleats campaign. All three have chosen to have their cleats represent the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society is beyond grateful for their support in raising awareness and funds to attack cancer from every angle and are extremely thankful to the 49ers Community for their continued support in the fight against cancer.

Annual Discovery Shop Sale

December is the perfect time of year to support and shop our local Discovery Shop Semi-annual 50% Off Sale! For one-of-a-kind items at amazing value, we can all indulge in a little self-nurturing. At 50% off store-wide, this is a great time to remind all our constituents about this fun way they can help raise funds to support our incredible American Cancer Society mission.

Pull The ReseacHERS!

This morning Joe Gillette and his group of amazing volunteers (including Steve Bell and Mark Flynn) made HERstory by pulling eight American Cancer Society ResearchHERS to raise funds for Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society is proud to be a top supporter of women in cancer research. Currently, half of the American Cancer Society’s grantees are women, most of them early in their careers. Women make invaluable contributions to cancer research yet are underrepresented in research leadership. As the leading non-profit funder of cancer research in the US, the American Cancer Society can help sustain women-led cancer research, launch new careers, and inspire a new generation of young women considering careers in science. ResearcHERS is a movement that engages women to raise funds that directly support cancer researchers—women cancer researchers. ​​​​

In tow today was Dr. Alpa Patel, Dr. Mia Gaudet , Dr. Samantha Puvanesarajah, Dr,@Lauren Teras Huebner, Dr. Corine Leach, Dr, Erika Rees-Punia, Dr. Caroline Um, & Dr. Ying Wan ALL representing the incredible women ResearcHERS who lead the fight against cancer.

See the videos (video 1, video 2, video 3, & video 4) and consider donating $8 ($1 for each ResearchHER).