As a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, I am honored to have been selected as a legislative ambassador representing Virginia's 1st Congressional District at the American Cancer Society's "Celebration on the Hill" being held in Washington on Sept. 20.
Celebration on the Hill is uniting legislative ambassadors and thousands of other volunteers from every congressional district for visits to our congressional representatives to urge support for our Congressional Cancer Promise, increased funding for the National Cancer Institute, and reauthorization of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, which provides disadvantaged individuals with necessary tests for early detection of breast and cervical cancer.
Had a mammogram not been available to me, my own breast cancer might never have been detected until it was too late.
I am now an eight-year survivor of breast cancer, and I am looking forward to many more years in which I can give back to my community, educating people about cancer.
However, my parents were not as fortunate. I lost both my parents to cancer.
In 2006 in Virginia alone, the American Cancer Society estimates approximately 35,000 people will be diagnosed and more than 14,000 will die from some form of cancer.
So please urge our congressional representatives to support the American Cancer Society's efforts and Celebration on the Hill.
Carol L. Pesti
Spotsylvania
Carol Pesti is a legislative ambassador for the American Cancer Society.