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Community DC Tswana Sewell & Gabrielle Roth American Cancer Society · Community D.C.

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Good morning you.
• 0:01
  Speaker 2: Welcome to another edition of Community DC. I'm your host
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: Dennis Glasgow. This morning, we welcome to the program for
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: the first time to Swana School and Gabriell A. Roth
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  Speaker 2: from the American Cancer Society, a nationwide nonprofit group that
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: works to end cancer if on medical studies, help patients
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  Speaker 2: get treatment and push for better health loss to Swana
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  Speaker 2: as their vice president and Gabrielle is the nonprofit development
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  Speaker 2: and fundraising leader.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: They're both here to talk about.
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  Speaker 2: Everything that is the American Cancer Society and what they offer,
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  Speaker 2: and also talk about the upcoming Making Strides fundraiser coming
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  Speaker 2: up on October seventeenth in Washington, d C.
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  Speaker 1: We tackle a.
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  Speaker 2: Lot of topics and what ACS does. So here's my
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  Speaker 2: conversation with Taswana and Gabrielle. I hope you enjoyed it
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: as much as I did. Good morning, Gabrielle and Tswana.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: How's everybody doing today?
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: Good morning doing well?
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: Well. It's great to have you both on first time
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: on Community DC. So I'm thrilled to have you and listen,
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: American Cancer Society. I think everybody's heard of you guys,
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: and I think it's so cool what you do. I
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: know it's been around for a long time. Just one
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: I'd like to start with you, you know, just for
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: a fun fact for audience. I think they've heard of
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: the American Cancer Society and they probably think they know
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: what you guys do. But I love for talking about
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: the history of nonprofits and it really is incredible. It
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: has been around for a long time. Can you kind
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  Speaker 2: of just tell us about how everything started and when
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: it started?
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  Speaker 3: Sure? Again, thank you for having Gabrielle and I on today.
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  Speaker 3: The American Cancer Society was incorporated in nineteen thirteen, so
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  Speaker 3: we are over one hundred years old. We really started
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: to address the cancer burden at that time, which was
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  Speaker 3: really quite devastating. As you can imagine, many people who
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: were diagnosed with cancer were not surviving that diagnosis, and
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  Speaker 3: so we really needed to incorporate to make sure that
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  Speaker 3: we could organize and do something about that. Since that time,
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  Speaker 3: we have really grown as an organization. We're in more
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  Speaker 3: than twenty one thousand communities across the United States, and
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  Speaker 3: we also have our global work as well, mostly in
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  Speaker 3: load to moderate income countries. And as a result of
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: research early detection cancer screening preventative measures, we've really seen
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: the cancer death rate drop quite a bit, and our
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  Speaker 3: survival rates are up seventy percent. Wow, of those who
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: are diagnosed with cancer are now living five years or more,
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  Speaker 3: whereas some years ago it was just forty nine percent.
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  Speaker 3: And when we were incorporated, really being diagnosed with the
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  Speaker 3: cancer diagnosis was a death.
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  Speaker 2: Since you know, that's come along, Yeah, that is amazing
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  Speaker 2: to Swana, you know, and I think that all three
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  Speaker 2: of us could agree that cancer has touched all of us.
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  Speaker 2: Almost every single person that we run into. My dad
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: had lung cancer, my mom has had a blood disorder,
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: I've got rumor toward OURTHRITI is. So you know, there's
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  Speaker 2: something that is always attached to people, and that's why
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  Speaker 2: I think that, you know, it's so important to talk
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  Speaker 2: to you guys about you know, and we're going to
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  Speaker 2: talk with Gabrielle about making Strides on October seventeenth, and
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  Speaker 2: Swana's going to talk about some other really big events
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: that are coming up over the next couple months that
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: are huge and how you can donate, how you can
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  Speaker 2: volunteer programs, events and research. We're going to talk about
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  Speaker 2: a lot, but you know, I think it's really important
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  Speaker 2: because it's such a big deal. On October seventeenth, Gabrielle
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  Speaker 2: that I do want to talk about Making Strides because
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  Speaker 2: this is a really big deal and I know that
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  Speaker 2: you're already raising as I'm looking on the website now
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  Speaker 2: at the time of this interview, over seventy thousand dollars,
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  Speaker 2: and I know that the goal is five hundred and
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  Speaker 2: eighty seventy three days left, and that's huge. Actually, how
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  Speaker 2: big is this fundraiser?
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  Speaker 3: I know that Making Strides is one of our largest
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  Speaker 3: fundraisers across the country, and it's been around for a
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  Speaker 3: couple of decades, and we really look at Strides as
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  Speaker 3: a movement and creating a sea of pink, and you know,
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  Speaker 3: breast cancer. We fight back against all cancers, but because
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  Speaker 3: breast cancer is so prevalent, we really wanted to put
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  Speaker 3: Making Strides in place to make sure that we would
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  Speaker 3: raise awareness really around getting those screenings and mammograms. So, Gabrielle,
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  Speaker 3: thanks for asking. I don't have the exact date of
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  Speaker 3: when we started, but we wanted to make sure that
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  Speaker 3: we could really push that early detection among women and
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  Speaker 3: of course men who often who less often get breast cancer,
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  Speaker 3: but do get breast cancer as.
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  Speaker 4: Well, yeah, I like to say it's a national initiative
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  Speaker 4: and it is the largest and most impactful breast cancer
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  Speaker 4: movement in the nation. I like to say that DC
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  Speaker 4: is a sea of pink two times a year, once
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  Speaker 4: during the terry blossoms and once when we have our walk.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 4: So yeah, so we're fortunate that actually making Strides d
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  Speaker 4: C is one of the largest in the country within ACS.
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  Speaker 4: So here in the DMB, we've just seen incredible growth
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  Speaker 4: since we started and continue momentum with DC Strides.
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  Speaker 5: But as you said, our walk is October.
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  Speaker 4: Seventeenth, and we do have a great goal this year
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  Speaker 4: five hundred and eighty thousand. So we need every dollar,
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  Speaker 4: every volunteer, every walker counts and is so important to
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  Speaker 4: sort of making this movement and supporting these breast cancer
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  Speaker 4: survivors and thrivers and caregivers.
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  Speaker 2: Well, and we're going to give websites so way too,
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  Speaker 2: and we can do that now while we're talking. But
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  Speaker 2: as I'm taking a look at the website, there is
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  Speaker 2: what you need to know. But Gabrielle, if you could
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  Speaker 2: go through some things about the times, the dates, and
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  Speaker 2: what people can expect that day, please.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, So we actually create this beautiful walk village. We
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  Speaker 4: start on this huge field that's adjacent from the Holocaust
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  Speaker 4: Museum right in downtown DC. We usually kind of kick
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  Speaker 4: things off around eight eight thirty. There's entertainment, games, a
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  Speaker 4: live band, a DJ, sponsors and vendors, and then right
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  Speaker 4: around nine nine thirty our walk. Everyone will walk through
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  Speaker 4: our big blow up arch and cross the street and
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  Speaker 4: then we'll start the route which is on the title basin.
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  Speaker 4: So I might be a little biased, but you could
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  Speaker 4: not ask for.
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  Speaker 1: A better before. Absolutely one of the best. It's beautiful,
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  Speaker 1: and it's beautiful.
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  Speaker 4: Weather usually knock on wood, but it really is just
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  Speaker 4: beautiful to look at. And what's really special is it's
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  Speaker 4: not just a walk. It's a full community experience. Everybody
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  Speaker 4: is laughing and hugging and crying and celebrating each other.
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  Speaker 4: But it's just a great, a great way to get
• 5:58
  Speaker 4: out in the community and the meaningful way and celebrate,
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  Speaker 4: courage and hope and unite each other to really end
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  Speaker 4: breast cancer as we know it. And I think that's
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  Speaker 4: our mission for ACS as a whole. And it's just
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  Speaker 4: a wonderful.
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  Speaker 1: Event, outstanding.
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  Speaker 2: I want to talk a little bit more about it,
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  Speaker 2: but I want to be completely transparent to that. I
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  Speaker 2: heard it's a part of this event with Hot ninety
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  Speaker 2: ninety five, which is wonderful. Yeah, and we are happy
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: to be a part of that. And you're hearing this
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: show on this station and all our others here at
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: High Art Media.
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  Speaker 1: D C.
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  Speaker 2: Tell me about donating towards this because I'm a gine
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  Speaker 2: you're also encouraging people say, hey, if you can't get
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  Speaker 2: out that day, you can still donate to this right.
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  Speaker 4: Oh, of course, all the funds that are donated to
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  Speaker 4: making strides to guess Breast Cancer DC Funds ACS is
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  Speaker 4: mission to and breast cancer as we know it. So
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  Speaker 4: revenue raised through this event funds critical programs and services,
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  Speaker 4: patients support, transportation, assistance, lodging, our Hope Lodge, which Tswana
• 6:51
  Speaker 4: will talk about a little later, breast cancer information and resources,
• 6:55
  Speaker 4: advocacy efforts. It really just ensures patients and families from
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  Speaker 4: the DA the have access to all of the resources
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  Speaker 4: that ACS offers, which is huge.
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  Speaker 5: There are expected to be.
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  Speaker 4: Three hundred and twenty two thousand new cases of breast
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  Speaker 4: cancer this year, so it's been continually increasing since the
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  Speaker 4: mid two thousand and it was rising even among younger
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  Speaker 4: women under fifty, so it's still the most commonly diagnosed
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  Speaker 4: cancer among women. And these donations right now are just
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  Speaker 4: so important because what the programs that ACS has offered,
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  Speaker 4: survival rates have continued to improve thanks to early detection
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  Speaker 4: and better treatment. Like just want to mention earlier, the
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  Speaker 4: five year survival rate is now over ninety percent for
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  Speaker 4: women that are diagnosed at those early stages. So it's
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  Speaker 4: vital for us, our programs and resources to get out
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  Speaker 4: there in the community.
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  Speaker 1: Very good.
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  Speaker 2: And before I talk about one other personal thing, because
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  Speaker 2: you had me think about something that's happened in my
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  Speaker 2: family when it comes to breast cancer. But Gabrielle, I
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  Speaker 2: know that there is a main website and there are
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  Speaker 2: sub websites for this, So can you kind of go
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  Speaker 2: over the easiest way people can f this so they
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  Speaker 2: can sign up and or donate and find out more information.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, of course it's going to be making Strides dot org.
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  Speaker 4: And then it's forward slash Washington, d C. If you
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  Speaker 4: have any trouble, you can always put in your zip
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  Speaker 4: code and it will take you right to our DC
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  Speaker 4: Strides location. But it's always forward slash Washington d c.
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  Speaker 5: To locate this lack.
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  Speaker 2: Very good, thank you for that. I want to go
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  Speaker 2: circle back about personal things. You had talked about the
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  Speaker 2: numbers with women and even men, and I saw there
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  Speaker 2: was a prominent celebrity, a male that have breast cancer
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  Speaker 2: that was putting it out there, and I thought it was,
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  Speaker 2: you know, real brave, you know, because I think guys
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  Speaker 2: probably think that's a stigma, that it's only for women,
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  Speaker 2: but it certainly isn't the case. And you two more
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  Speaker 2: than more than anybody. My mother in law had breast
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  Speaker 2: cancer about I want to say about ten years ago
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  Speaker 2: when we were living in Raleigh, North Carolina, and she
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  Speaker 2: was getting radiation and she was in her mid seventies
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  Speaker 2: and you know, she's a real strong woman. But she
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  Speaker 2: was talking to me about this and the one thing
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  Speaker 2: that she had noted when she was going for the
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: treatments times during the week, she said, I cannot believe
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: how many women are in the waiting room with yeah,
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: and it, you know, and as a woman and telling
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  Speaker 2: me this her son, Lie, I don't know anything, and
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  Speaker 2: I you know, it was incredible. She was blown away.
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  Speaker 2: But how many women were getting treatment and you know,
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  Speaker 2: to your point of the numbers, you know, while you're
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: doing some incredible treatments out there in technology and AI
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: are hopefully going to find a cure someday or at
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: least something that's better for women to go through. And
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  Speaker 2: now men, She was just blown away as a woman
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: how many people were getting treated at that time. I
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: wanted to bring that observation out because her as a woman,
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  Speaker 2: she was blown away, but how many women were being
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  Speaker 2: treated It was truly.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, that really actually resonates with me so much right
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  Speaker 4: now because I say these statistics all the time, and
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  Speaker 4: just a few weeks ago, my mom was diagnosed restaurants.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sorry.
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  Speaker 5: So it just affects you. It affects so many women
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  Speaker 5: and men.
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  Speaker 4: Like you said, we have these faces of hope that
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  Speaker 4: I call our celebrities of our walk. And we have
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: a male, our first male face of hope. So he's
• 10:00
  Speaker 4: from and so wonderful. But exactly what you said, there
• 10:04
  Speaker 4: is a stigma for men. Obviously it's not prevalent with women,
• 10:07
  Speaker 4: but he is. I think there's still probably about two
• 10:10
  Speaker 4: thousand cases wide, so it's there.
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  Speaker 5: There is a stigma.
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  Speaker 4: It is very hard for them to talk about it.
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  Speaker 4: He's in his mid sixties and finally comfortable enough. And
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: they have a remarkable story you can actually read on
• 10:21
  Speaker 4: our website. Him and his wife are both diagnosed with
• 10:24
  Speaker 4: breast cancer within three years of each other, so they
• 10:27
  Speaker 4: kind of took time, took turns being each other's caregiver
• 10:30
  Speaker 4: and being the patient. But it really is touching everyone,
• 10:34
  Speaker 4: and like I said, it's becoming more prevalent with people
• 10:37
  Speaker 4: under the age of fifty, so it's so important for
• 10:39
  Speaker 4: early detection and early screening.
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I know, you guys know this what
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: you do every day. But life is hard enough, and
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: then when that's thrown at a family like that, it's
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: tough and there is a lot of courage there and
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: it's not easy. But I'm glad that they have each
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: other to go through something like that. But I couldn't imagine.
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: I mean, everybody's got their own stuff to go through,
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: but that's truly incredible. But that he's stepping up and
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: talking about it publicly truly fantastic.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: And I'm glad you guys have a great.
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: Spokesperson like that. I think it's great Taswana. Since we're
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: talking about events, because I know you've got some other
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: big ones coming up, and I want to educate our
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: listeners that it's just not a one time thing with
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: making strides. You have a lot of cool things coming
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: up here and a couple of really important ones very
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: soon in September and then later in the year.
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: Can you talk about those for us?
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  Speaker 3: Sure? So our first event coming up in September is
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: our Hope Lodge Baltimore ribbon cutting. I'm not sure if
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: you're familiar with Hope Lodge. Sometimes we joke and say
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: it's like the American Cancer Society Best Kept Secret, but
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: we don't want it to be a secret. So we
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: are a community of more than thirty one Hope Lodges
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: across the country which provide free lodging to cancer patients
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: and their caregivers when they have to travel for their
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: most effective treatment. So we have one right in Baltimore
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: when cancer patients have to travel in to any of
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: the hospitals in that area, but primarily the University of Maryland,
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: the University of Maryland Proton Center, and then Johns Hopkins University.
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: And so it's a free hotel like facility where guests
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: have their private rooms, private bathroom. But then there's a
• 12:14
  Speaker 3: lot of communal spaces for people to come together who
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: are sharing that same journey. So communal kitchen with your
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: own space to cook and house your food, great room,
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: fitness room, meditation room, a huge courtyard. The list goes on.
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: So we were consistently in our old building, which was
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: over forty years old, on a waiting list with twenty
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: six guest rooms. So we just completed our capital campaign
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: last year and we have moved and now expanded our
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: capacity by more than thirty percent with thirty four guest rooms,
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: including ten suites for those that need to stay with
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: us a bit longer due to treatment. So to the event,
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: we have to celebrate this milestone where we're able to
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: provide great access to care for cancer patients. And so
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: on September twenty third, which is a Wednesday, from four
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: to six pm, we are having our Hope Lodge ribbon cutting.
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: Our national CEO is coming in, our Chief Patient Officer
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: is coming in. We've invited some other VIPs from Baltimore,
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: so hopefully they'll accept our invitation. But really we're going
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: to celebrate being able to provide greater access to care.
• 13:26
  Speaker 3: We'll hear from some of our senior executives and people
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: who attend, we'll be able to take a tour to
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: really see what our guests we call the cancer patients
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: that stay with us guests, what our guests experience when
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: they have to stay with us. On average, maybe six weeks,
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: but some people need to stay with us for three
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: months or more. And if you can imagine with your
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: normal cost, then the cost of cancer also having to
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: pay for lodging while you're receiving treatment, sometimes that's just
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: not affordable for folks. And so we know that folks
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: won't complete treatment or even start sometimes if they didn't
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: have this free lodging. So it's really something to celebrate.
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: It is an invitation only event. If folks are interested,
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: they can let me know so that I can share
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: a little bit more information and try to get them
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: on the Innight list.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: Well. Great, Is there another event that you want to
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: talk about as well coming up before the end of
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: the year.
• 14:23
  Speaker 3: Yes, so also supporting our Hope Lodge is an evening
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: of Hope that is completely open to the public. That
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: is on November fifth at the Baltimore Museum of Industry,
• 14:34
  Speaker 3: and it's a cocktail style event. It's really fun. We
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: celebrate cancer survivors those who have made an impact on
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: the Hope Lodge. We typically have live music, food, cocktail,
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: all types of interesting things that people can do in
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: addition to seeing some of the exhibits at the Baltimore
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: Museum of Industry. So it's a fun time for people
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: to come out and make an impact on this fight
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: against cancer.
• 14:58
  Speaker 4: You know.
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: One of the things that got my attention on this program.
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: We've had the Maryland Proton Center on before and a
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: couple times I've talked to some of their head doctors
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: and why I just didn't want to spilight one of
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: your partners out there. It's truly incredible talking about proton
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: and what they do. And it's not new technology. It's
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: actually I think been around the fifties if my memory serves,
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: but now it's become more prevalent than the last decade
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: and affordable too.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: It's truly incredible.
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: And I was thinking about technology and then also what
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: you guys do, and I wanted to relate, and I
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: talked to my listeners know this, guys that with my
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: ruematard arthritis that I got back when I was twenty
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: one in the late eighties, there was not a network
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: to relate to people. There's no social media, there's no websites,
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: there's no education, there's no nothing. And I don't tell
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: my story to make anybody feel bad about me.
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: It just was the time.
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: But because today of social media and then using our
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: brains and wanting to relate to human beings that were
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: not the only ones going through this. Love that you
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: guys do what you do, and not only for you know,
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: having a place for people to stay extended and going
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: through something very traumatic, whether it's them or their families,
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: but being able to relate to other people that they're
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: not alone on this journey. And whether it's a hotline
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: or whether it's a gathering socially, or whether it's getting
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: on teams call with a bunch of different families, it
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: really doesn't matter. And a lot of nonprofits are doing this,
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: which I'm thrilled about because I never had that and
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: I wish I did.
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: But to be able to talk to these.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: Families that you're helping out there and knowing that they're
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: not the only ones going through this and being able
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: to relate with something that's really life threatening and traumatic,
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: I think is huge and people don't realize that when
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: you're able to relate with somebody and you're going through
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: that something that's really intense, is very therapeutic and cathartic.
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: And I can speak from my own personal experiences that
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: I've talked to other people that have ra for as
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: long as I have and saying I'm not the only one.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: Going through this.
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: Oh, you go through this kind of pain, or you
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: take that medication, or your family went through that. Ladies,
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: it's truly extraordinary that you just offer that as a service.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: I think it's huge.
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: You know, you are absolutely right. We just had guests
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: check into our Hope Lodge this week who said, you know,
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: we could have afforded to pay for a hotel for
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: two months while we're going through treatment, but they were
• 17:22
  Speaker 3: really looking for that community so that they could fellowship
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: with other people going through the same journey, because, like
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: you said, it's scary. You want to know, well, if
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: you're two weeks ahead of me, what can I expect?
• 17:33
  Speaker 3: What kind of side effects are you experiencing, and like
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: you said, what kind of medicines, what kind of things
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: are you doing to offset those things? And so that
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: community is really helpful. I'll let Gabby respond, but I'll
• 17:45
  Speaker 3: also tell you about our hotline and.
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: Just yeah please, yeah, oh.
• 17:48
  Speaker 4: I was just going to say I actually started with
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: American Cancer Society just over a year ago.
• 17:52
  Speaker 5: So during training, I.
• 17:54
  Speaker 4: Got to see the Hope Lodge, which is one of
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: the first ones in Atlanta, and it was being good night,
• 17:59
  Speaker 4: and you would have never known that these people just
• 18:01
  Speaker 4: met each other, they were a family, and they had
• 18:04
  Speaker 4: given people such support. There was a few members that
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: got to ring the bell that evening, and just seeing
• 18:09
  Speaker 4: the way that they cared and supported each other, I
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: could tell it just made all of the difference.
• 18:14
  Speaker 5: So I completely agree with what you're saying.
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: That's huge, you know.
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: And the other thing that I've always realized, especially in
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: my business, that would distinguish us from many other people
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: and things on the planet, is that we're storytellers and
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: that we can share and relate to each other.
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: So I love it that you guys do that.
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: I want to acknowledge that because I always think it's
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: really special that you can have just onan as you mentioned,
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: the fellowship and the sharing of we're not alone in this,
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: we're going through it. We know it's hard, but we're
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: here for you. Did you want to talk a little
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: bit about the hotline.
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: I do so. The American Cancer Society has open three
• 18:48
  Speaker 3: hundred and sixty five days a year, twenty four hours
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: a day through our one eight hundred number. And for
• 18:53
  Speaker 3: all of you that just rolled your eyes at a
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: one eight hundred number, I assure you you will get
• 18:58
  Speaker 3: a live cancer specially after you go through a few prompts.
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: And so if you're just up at three o'clock in
• 19:04
  Speaker 3: the morning and you want to speak with someone, you
• 19:07
  Speaker 3: can do that. Of course, we also offer resources that
• 19:11
  Speaker 3: are outside of our programming. We share what our programming is.
• 19:15
  Speaker 5: If you want to.
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: Speak to an oncology nurse, you can ask to do that.
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: If you need to understand your insurance and what the
• 19:22
  Speaker 3: financial implifications are, you can ask about that. We can
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: get you connected to clinical trials. Really, we are here
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: to walk with you through your entire cancer journey. I've
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: called the one eight hundred number myself. Unfortunately, many people
• 19:37
  Speaker 3: on my network have been affected by cancer, and I
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: wanted to see what they would get when they called.
• 19:43
  Speaker 3: So you do give that, get that live cancer specialist
• 19:47
  Speaker 3: that can help you walk through that journey. So I
• 19:50
  Speaker 3: do encourage people if you are newly diagnosed in treatment
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: or even a survivor and are still looking for resources
• 19:57
  Speaker 3: one eight hundred two to Evan two, three, four or five.
• 20:02
  Speaker 3: Call it anytime and you will get someone. And we
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: do have live chat via cancer dot org as well.
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: If you're not a phone person, which many of us
• 20:12
  Speaker 3: aren't anymore, you can do the live chat via your
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: phone or computer.
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: Well, very good.
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: Well, I did want to kind of continue about giving,
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: and I know that you have a donation button on
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: the website, and folks, I know you probably have found
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: the website, but we'll give it a few more times
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: before we finish up here. But you can do one
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: time gifts and you can do them often. But I
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: really do want to highlight because I know it's important
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: to get donations all the time, whether it's for the
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: Making Strides event or just in general where the money
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: goes because people always ask it. Hey, Dennis, I love
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: to give money, and you know I'd like to get
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: to the American Cancer Society in DC. But when I
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: do that, word does the money go? Can either of
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: you talk about how the many ways you can donate
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: and where the money is allocated if that's if that's
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: something you guys can talk about.
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: Sure, I'll let Gabrielle give the Making Strides Walk website again,
• 21:03
  Speaker 3: I will say we should probably just give that one
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: website that will keep it simple, because really what happens
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: is when you support any type of cancer, you're really
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: supporting all types. Right, So the discoveries that we find
• 21:16
  Speaker 3: for breast cancer really support discoveries for all the more
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: than two hundred types of cancer that we have. But
• 21:23
  Speaker 3: in terms of where the money goes, I'll just repeat
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: some of the things that Gabrielle already shared. It is
• 21:29
  Speaker 3: all of our programs and services. So we do offer
• 21:32
  Speaker 3: free rides to and from cancer treatment. We offer navigation
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: for those that need that service, we offer that free lodging,
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: the one eight hundred number, the advocacy to make sure
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: that laws are in place to protect cancer patients in
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: their families. So really giving to that breast cancer cause
• 21:52
  Speaker 3: because breast cancer is so prevalent. It does support all
• 21:56
  Speaker 3: of our services, including research, which I'm not sure that
• 22:00
  Speaker 3: I mentioned. And you know, just a few things on research,
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: we are the largest funder of research outside of the
• 22:08
  Speaker 3: federal government, now investing more than five point six billion
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: dollars since the inception of our program in nineteen forty six,
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: and again similar to the one eight hundred number. I
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: feel like when I share those big numbers, folks are like, well,
• 22:23
  Speaker 3: where's all that money going, what do the advancements look like?
• 22:26
  Speaker 3: So for breast cancer specifically, I just want to share
• 22:29
  Speaker 3: we've been a part of every major breakthrough for all
• 22:32
  Speaker 3: cancers since our inception, but for breast cancer specifically, just
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: a couple quick examples. We funded the doctor that developed
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: to moxifin, which many people may be familiar with who
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: are diagnosed with breast cancer. That is a medicine that
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: you take. Not only did that doctor developed that medicine,
• 22:53
  Speaker 3: he also developed a less invasive way to treat breast
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: cancer and so that and that was in the nineteen
• 23:00
  Speaker 3: seventy so that is still present today, and of course
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: we've been able to build upon that. We are still
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: funding the scientists that discovered the brackaging, which is really
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: important when you talk about knowing your family history, your
• 23:15
  Speaker 3: inclination to get cancer, it's really important that discovery and
• 23:20
  Speaker 3: so those are the types of things that research really
• 23:24
  Speaker 3: helps us do and really really helps us with those advancements.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: So we know, Gabrielle just told us more than I
• 23:32
  Speaker 3: think it was three hundred and twenty two thousand women
• 23:34
  Speaker 3: will be diagnosed. However, the survival rate is much higher
• 23:39
  Speaker 3: now for breast cancer. Women are being women are detecting
• 23:43
  Speaker 3: it earlier, the treatment is better, and so therefore the
• 23:46
  Speaker 3: survivorship rates have gone up, and that's definitely due to research.
• 23:51
  Speaker 3: So the funds go to all the things that I mentioned,
• 23:55
  Speaker 3: but I just kind of wanted to underscore research really
• 23:58
  Speaker 3: is making those advancements.
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: Thanks for sharing that.
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: You know that also, and I know we're kind of
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: highlighting because I'm talking a lot, and we are about
• 24:05
  Speaker 2: breast cancer, but there's one hundred different, hundreds of different
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: types of cancers out there.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: With that said, one of the.
• 24:11
  Speaker 2: Things I've learned from my family and my wife, because
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: her mom has had breast cancer and my wife has
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: had benin insists before. She's always she just had a
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: mammogran a couple of weeks ago, and then she's passed
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: it down to her daughter who's twenty four. It's an
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: educational thing, and I know you guys want to keep
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: on talking about it that ladies out there go get
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: your mammograms. You know, I think it's just ultra important
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: to talk about that because I can't speak for women,
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: but I know when it comes to dudes, we don't
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: like going to the doctor.
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: It's just a general thing. I hate it.
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: But I've been better as I've been getting older with that.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: But we do want to encourage women out there please
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: go get a mammogram and do it annually because early detection,
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: I think we can all agree, is really important, especially
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: with the advances out there that if you catch something early,
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: there's a better chance of being successful. Right, And maybe
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: you could ex just a little bit on that.
• 25:02
  Speaker 4: Yeah, we always say self exams and getting mammograms are
• 25:07
  Speaker 4: so vital to early detection, and that really makes the
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: difference in survivorship rates. I do a lot of these
• 25:13
  Speaker 4: presentations and there's still a lot of women that are
• 25:15
  Speaker 4: very anxious and apprehensive to get a mammogram. And this
• 25:18
  Speaker 4: is one of those times where I say, you know
• 25:20
  Speaker 4: that call that one eight hundred number that we have.
• 25:22
  Speaker 4: They'll walk you through what the process is like, because
• 25:25
  Speaker 4: it seems a lot more daunting than it is. But
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: in order for survival rates to continue to go up,
• 25:31
  Speaker 4: it really is important for early detection and ensuring you
• 25:34
  Speaker 4: get those annual mammograms.
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: Well very good.
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: Well listen, we've got about maybe four minutes left, and
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: I want you both to have a little recap of
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: what we talked about and then maybe give your websites
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: one more time just to remind people and then they
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: can check everything out. And I hope they at least
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: just check out, you know, whether it's making Strides or
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: just the American Cancer Society and donating. But the education
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: that you guys put on the website is extraordinary. And
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: while there is a lot of information on there, because
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: there's a lot about can sir you guys break it
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: down really well, not only to the research that's going
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: on and all about cancers and the programs and the
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: events and how to donate. There really is a lot,
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: but it's really cool, and whoever designed the website did
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: a wonderful job of parsing it out that you can
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: read all the amazing stuff out there. But Gabrielle, start
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: with you just maybe some final thoughts on what we
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: talked about, and one last pitch for making Strides.
• 26:21
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I would say to just join us on October
• 26:23
  Speaker 4: seventeenth and help us create the largest sea of pink
• 26:25
  Speaker 4: we've had October seventeenth on the title basin and our
• 26:29
  Speaker 4: website is Makingstrides dot org forward slash Washington, DC. You
• 26:33
  Speaker 4: can participate remotely, you can participate with a group or family,
• 26:37
  Speaker 4: create your own t shirts. But really every donation, every dollar,
• 26:41
  Speaker 4: every volunteer, every walker, and every step makes such a
• 26:45
  Speaker 4: huge difference in research, health advocacy and all these patient
• 26:49
  Speaker 4: support programs that ACS does throughout the DMV community.
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: And then fingers crossed, But you did schedule during a
• 26:56
  Speaker 2: beautiful time of the year here, Yes, and that's nice
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: because I I've been at Commander's camp and we were
• 27:01
  Speaker 2: kind of lotting yesterday as the time of this taping.
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: That usually doing training camp for the commanders.
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: It is just brutal out there, and I'm not wearing
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: pads and working out for two hours. But it's been
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: so nice and I'm sure you guys could agree and
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: have experienced it with no humidity and being in the
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: mid eighties is perfect. We usually don't get that here
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: in the DMV. So but when you get into the
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: fall in the DMV, as we all know living here,
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: that it gets pretty nice and it's nice football. Whether
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: it's crisp, but it's comfortable. So I think it's a
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: nice time to schedule the walk. So I'm hoping you
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: guys get great weather for that. And I imagine, well,
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: by the way, how many people might you be expecting
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: to the walk as far as future wins?
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: What are we looking at?
• 27:38
  Speaker 4: Yeah, we're expecting about five thousand. So it is like
• 27:41
  Speaker 4: I said, it is the best event. It's a wonderful
• 27:44
  Speaker 4: way to spend your Saturday with caregivers, survivors, thrivers.
• 27:49
  Speaker 5: It's just such a wonderful community and family.
• 27:52
  Speaker 4: But yeah, it's going to be a wonderful event and
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: I hope to see you all there.
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: Well good, all right, just want to let's do this.
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: Let's get some final thoughts from you and give the website.
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: I had one more time and the floor is yours.
• 28:02
  Speaker 5: Sure.
• 28:03
  Speaker 3: So the American Cancer Society's vision is to end cancer
• 28:07
  Speaker 3: as we know it for everyone. I won't list all
• 28:10
  Speaker 3: the programs again, what I would say is, if you
• 28:12
  Speaker 3: take anything away from this interview, if you are newly diagnosed,
• 28:17
  Speaker 3: if you're a survivor, if you're worried about a loved
• 28:21
  Speaker 3: one or yourself and you're not yet diagnosed, call the
• 28:24
  Speaker 3: one eight hundred number. One eight hundred two two seven
• 28:28
  Speaker 3: two three four five, or visit our website at cancer
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: dot org. The sooner you detect cancer, the more beatable
• 28:35
  Speaker 3: and treated treatable it is, so please do use those
• 28:39
  Speaker 3: two resources one eight hundred two two seven two three
• 28:42
  Speaker 3: four five and or go to cancer dot org.
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: Well, I want to thank you both. I hope you
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: can come back on the program. I've learned a lot
• 28:50
  Speaker 2: in the thirty minutes and always when I talked to
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: new people on Community d C, I think I know
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: what's going on, and then I get to learn a
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: little bit, and I think our listeners have learned a
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: lot about all the amazing things. And by the way,
• 29:01
  Speaker 2: I want to I want to make sure that you
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: know this because I'm on the website right now. We
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: just talked about the tip of the iceberg. What American
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: Cancer Society does. It really is truly extraordinaated. How many
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: tentacles you guys have, and it's really and I know
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: you're growing all the time and you're getting better, and
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: you're probably getting feedback from everybody, whether it's people that
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: have cancer, the researchers, the people that put on the events.
• 29:22
  Speaker 2: It's truly amazing how many things you guys do from
• 29:25
  Speaker 2: where it started in the early nineteen hundreds to where
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: we are now, and that's exciting about the future as
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: many people that are going through the cancer. So I
• 29:32
  Speaker 2: want to thank you both for joining us. So I
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: hope you come back to the program, but thank you
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: so much. Jan. I'm glad we could spotlight everything for
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: the American Cancer Society and making strides right here on
• 29:41
  Speaker 2: community dcs.
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much.
• 29:43
  Speaker 3: Thanks.
• 29:44
  Speaker 5: I just appreciate it.
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: So the nations and make the world a better place.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: Learn more at she can Stamp. A message brought to
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: you by the AD Council.