Press Releases
ATLANTA – April 16, 2010 – In celebration of the 37th annual National Volunteer Week (April 18 to April 24), the American Cancer Society, the Official Sponsor of Birthdays, recognizes the efforts of its more than three million volunteers nationwide by kicking-off a national pledge to volunteer in 2010. Volunteers are crucial to the American Cancer Society’s mission to save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays, and with the help of its volunteers, the Society is successfully helping people stay well and get well by finding cures and fighting back against cancer.
As National Volunteer Week approaches, American Cancer Society is encouraging the rest of the country to join its volunteers in making a big impact in 2010 by pledging to volunteer by year’s end. The Society today kicked off a national pledge to volunteer with a new tool that allows consumers to pledge hours and find rewarding volunteer opportunities in their own community.
“If each and every person in the United States takes the time to volunteer even one hour by year’s end, imagine the impact 300 million hours would make in our fight against this disease,” said Alan G. Thorson, M.D., F.A.C.S., national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society. “In honor of National Volunteer Week, we’re asking everyone to join the American Cancer Society in our pledge to save lives while fulfilling your own in 2010.”
The American Cancer Society listens, shares, heals, and nurtures a spirit of hope and a culture of caring through volunteerism. For those looking to get involved in their own community this Spring, the Society offers many opportunities to get outside, get moving and get healthy all while making a difference:
- The Society’s DetermiNation™ program offers athletes of all abilities the opportunity to save lives with every mile they conquer in endurance events across the country, all while maintaining their own health and fitness goals.
- Relay For Life®, the world’s largest movement to end cancer, is celebrating it’s 26th year and with more than 5,000 events in 20 countries, this overnight community event engages volunteers in organizing teams that celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease.
- Making Strides Against Breast Cancer®, the organization’s premier event to raise funds and awareness to fight breast cancer, involves nearly 500,000 people across the country in an inspiring, non-competitive walk.
Additional opportunities to volunteer throughout the year include:
- Road to Recovery, where volunteers drive patients to and from treatment;
- Look Good…Feel Better®, where volunteers help women overcome treatment related-side effects by teaching them skills to help their appearance;
- Reach to Recovery, where breast cancer survivors volunteer to provide one-on-one support to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients; and
- Hope Lodge®, where volunteers can cook a meal for guests staying at a local Lodge, which offers cancer patients and their families a free, temporary place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city.
To learn more about the American Cancer Society volunteer pledge and how you can saves lives while fulfilling your own, visit www.morebirthdays.com/morebirthdays/volunteer.asp, and to join the American Cancer Society’s movement to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays, visit morebirthdays.com.
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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
Claire Greenwell
American Cancer Society
404-417-5883