Town Hall Meeting
Jul/Thursday/2008 10:35 PM Filed in: LIVESTRONG
A sign of good things to come for the week, was
walking up to a woman wearing yellow and black in the
Nashville airport... “Are you going to the
LIVESTRONG SUMMIT” I asked? Indeed she was, as
she turned out to be the Chief Operating Officer of
the LIVESTRONG organization! We sat on the plane to
Columbus and shared a cab ride to the hotel. It was a
gift to hear about the organization from the top. She
has a huge job, but it was evident that she had it
all under control. Thanks for all the hard work you
do, Betty!
To set the tone for the week, a Town Hall Meeting with Senator McCain was held on THE Ohio State campus tonight (Thursday). Senator Obama was unable to attend, but we were assured the same questions would be asked to him at a later date.
At registration we were given bright yellow T-Shirts to wear to the Town Hall meeting that said “Vote Yellow” on the front, and on the back was a definition of “Vote Yellow”(vot • yel-o) :
1. n. An expression of choice made by 12 million cancer survivors and their loved ones. 2. v. To declare one’s opinion that our leaders should make cancer a national priority. 3. n. A philosophy believing it unacceptable to lose 560,000 Americans to cancer each year. 4. n. LIVESTRONG!™
So we had a sea of yellow move from the reception at the Ohio Statehouse to the large auditorium on THE Ohio State University. We were searched carefully as we entered the auditorium by the Secret Service...
Before the discussion with Senator McCain, Paula Zahn (host), Lance, and the Senator said a few words, individually. I was so pleased to hear that Paula Zahn is a tireless advocate for cancer related stories in the media. Both her parents had been diagnosed within a few weeks of each other back in 1983, and that 6 weeks after, a sister-in-law was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer (and not detected early enough). She insisted that we MUST be our own advocates.
Before Lance came out, the “Maybe Tomorrow” theme song was played (you can download on iTunes) and the LIVESTRONG manifesto was posted:
THE MANIFESTO OF THE LANCE ARMSTRONG FOUNDATION
We believe in life.
Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your being.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
We believe in energy: channeled and fierce.
We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong.
Unity is strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
We kick in the moment you’re diagnosed.
We help you accept the tears. Acknowledge the rage.
We believe in your right to live without pain.
We believe in information. Not pity.
And in straight, open talk about cancer.
With husbands, wives and partners. With kids, friends and neighbors. And the people you live with, work with, cry and laugh with.
This is no time to pull punches.
You’re in the fight of your life.
We’re about the hard stuff.
Like finding the nerve to ask for a second opinion.
And a third, or a fourth, if that’s what it takes.
We’re about getting smart about clinical trials.
And if it comes to it, being in control of how your life ends.
It’s your life. You will have it your way.
We’re about the practical stuff.
Planning for surviving. Banking your sperm. Preserving your fertility. Organizing your finances. Dealing with hospitals, specialists, insurance companies and employers.
It’s knowing your rights.
It’s your life.
Take no prisoners.
We’re about the fight.
We’re your champion on Capitol Hill. Your advocate with the healthcare system. Your sponsor in the research labs.
And we know the fight never ends.
Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Founded and inspired by one of the toughest cancer survivors on the planet.
LIVESTRONG™
Lance acknowledged his mother in the audience and welcomed the ARMY. He said we were fighting a war that loses 1500 Americans everyday. He talked about a comprehensive approach being needed , and outlined those in his talk.
Overall there was a great discussion with pointed questions by both Lance and Paula.
I think one of the most compelling things I heard in the evening, was that though lung cancer is responsible for 1/3 of the cancer deaths, the tobacco money sent to each state is not being used as it was intended. NOT IN ONE STATE. Senator McCain said we should be asking our political appointees about this and holding them accountable. The Senator said corruption in congress was/is a major roadblock for getting things done, and said he intended to clean things up (after Paula asked him to elaborate about HOW it was corrupt). He wants to reduce and eliminate the use of tobacco products in the US, another surprising comment from this melanoma survivor.
To view the meeting, and hear more about it, go to the official blogger at:
http://livestrongblog.org/
To set the tone for the week, a Town Hall Meeting with Senator McCain was held on THE Ohio State campus tonight (Thursday). Senator Obama was unable to attend, but we were assured the same questions would be asked to him at a later date.
At registration we were given bright yellow T-Shirts to wear to the Town Hall meeting that said “Vote Yellow” on the front, and on the back was a definition of “Vote Yellow”(vot • yel-o) :
1. n. An expression of choice made by 12 million cancer survivors and their loved ones. 2. v. To declare one’s opinion that our leaders should make cancer a national priority. 3. n. A philosophy believing it unacceptable to lose 560,000 Americans to cancer each year. 4. n. LIVESTRONG!™
So we had a sea of yellow move from the reception at the Ohio Statehouse to the large auditorium on THE Ohio State University. We were searched carefully as we entered the auditorium by the Secret Service...
Before the discussion with Senator McCain, Paula Zahn (host), Lance, and the Senator said a few words, individually. I was so pleased to hear that Paula Zahn is a tireless advocate for cancer related stories in the media. Both her parents had been diagnosed within a few weeks of each other back in 1983, and that 6 weeks after, a sister-in-law was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer (and not detected early enough). She insisted that we MUST be our own advocates.
Before Lance came out, the “Maybe Tomorrow” theme song was played (you can download on iTunes) and the LIVESTRONG manifesto was posted:
THE MANIFESTO OF THE LANCE ARMSTRONG FOUNDATION
We believe in life.
Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your being.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
We believe in energy: channeled and fierce.
We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong.
Unity is strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
We kick in the moment you’re diagnosed.
We help you accept the tears. Acknowledge the rage.
We believe in your right to live without pain.
We believe in information. Not pity.
And in straight, open talk about cancer.
With husbands, wives and partners. With kids, friends and neighbors. And the people you live with, work with, cry and laugh with.
This is no time to pull punches.
You’re in the fight of your life.
We’re about the hard stuff.
Like finding the nerve to ask for a second opinion.
And a third, or a fourth, if that’s what it takes.
We’re about getting smart about clinical trials.
And if it comes to it, being in control of how your life ends.
It’s your life. You will have it your way.
We’re about the practical stuff.
Planning for surviving. Banking your sperm. Preserving your fertility. Organizing your finances. Dealing with hospitals, specialists, insurance companies and employers.
It’s knowing your rights.
It’s your life.
Take no prisoners.
We’re about the fight.
We’re your champion on Capitol Hill. Your advocate with the healthcare system. Your sponsor in the research labs.
And we know the fight never ends.
Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Founded and inspired by one of the toughest cancer survivors on the planet.
LIVESTRONG™
Lance acknowledged his mother in the audience and welcomed the ARMY. He said we were fighting a war that loses 1500 Americans everyday. He talked about a comprehensive approach being needed , and outlined those in his talk.
Overall there was a great discussion with pointed questions by both Lance and Paula.
I think one of the most compelling things I heard in the evening, was that though lung cancer is responsible for 1/3 of the cancer deaths, the tobacco money sent to each state is not being used as it was intended. NOT IN ONE STATE. Senator McCain said we should be asking our political appointees about this and holding them accountable. The Senator said corruption in congress was/is a major roadblock for getting things done, and said he intended to clean things up (after Paula asked him to elaborate about HOW it was corrupt). He wants to reduce and eliminate the use of tobacco products in the US, another surprising comment from this melanoma survivor.
To view the meeting, and hear more about it, go to the official blogger at:
http://livestrongblog.org/