Urges Garrett to sign Congressional Cancer Promise

To the Editor: Ten thousand cancer advocates from every Congressional district in the country. The largest-ever monument to cancer covering three city blocks. An emotional, candle-lit Ceremony of Hope. These are just a few of the many highlights of Celebration on the Hill 2006 - an empowering, moving, monumental grassroots advocacy event I attended Sept. 20 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. along with 100 other “Celebration Ambassadors” from New Jersey. Celebration on the Hill was a once-in-a-lifetime event for me, a two time cancer survivor. The event enabled me and nearly 4,000 other cancer advocates from across the country and all walks of life to meet face to face with our lawmakers in Washington. We communicated our message to Members of Congress loudly and clearly - lawmakers must commit to the fight against cancer and make it a national priority. One of our main objectives at Celebration was to urge our elected officials to sign the Congressional Cancer Promise - a commitment to taking specific legislative steps to increase the government’s investment in cancer research, prevention and early detection, survivorship, and access to care. More than 300 lawmakers - more than half of Congress - signed on and voiced their support for our short term plan to put the nation’s fight against cancer back on track. As volunteers of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM, I and others will make sure they stick to their promise. People’s lives are at stake. There was only member of Congress from the state of New Jersey that did not sign the Congressional Cancer Promise. That one person is Representative Scott Garrett who represents parts of Sussex County including parts of Sparta. During this election year I think the voters should ask why Rep. Garrett was the only state Congressman who refused to sign the Cancer Promise? Cassandra Camacho Sparta