Senator Collins honored
for leadership in fight against cancer
PORTLAND — U.S. Senator Susan Collins has been awarded the 2013 Congressional Champion Award by the One Voice Against Cancer Coalition in recognition of the senator’s lifelong leadership in the fight against cancer and her unwavering support for research and prevention funding through the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control.
Contributed Photo
Jeff Bennett, a cancer survivor from Portland, presented U.S. Senator Susan Collins with the 2013 Congressional Cancer Champion Advocacy Award in her Washington office earlier this summer.
The annual award is given by OVAC, a coalition of 39 national and community-based organizations that represent researchers, physicians, patients, families and many others — people working together to make funding for cancer research and prevention programs a national priority.
The Congressional Cancer Champion Award is an honor bestowed by OVAC on federal lawmakers who undertake extraordinary efforts to enact legislation that advances the nation’s fight against cancer.
“Senator Collins has been a champion of cancer research and prevention efforts for the people of Maine,” said Hilary Schneider, state director of government relations and advocacy for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “With her unwavering commitment to sustained funding for cancer research and prevention, Senator Collins has demonstrated strong leadership in prioritizing the fight to eliminate death and suffering from a disease that still kills 1,500 people in America each day.”
Jeff Bennett of Portland presented the award to Sen. Collins on July 9 as part of the OVAC Lobby Day in Washington. Bennett is a cancer survivor and volunteer leader for ACS CAN and the Livestrong Foundation, both of which are part of the OVAC coalition.
Bennett joined other cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, physicians and researchers from 12 other organizations in Washington last week to urge lawmakers to support funding for critical cancer research and prevention programs at the National Cancer Institute, CDC and other federal agencies. A total of 140 advocates from 35 states united as part of the event in the nation’s capital.
“As a cancer survivor, I know that past investment in cancer research has given us the tools to detect some cancers early and, in some cases, to prevent it all together,” said Bennett. “But sustained investment in cancer research and prevention is imperative to help make progress for cancers where we still don’t have answers.”
A senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Sen. Collins has been an ardent advocate for medical research funding, which not only improves and saves lives, but also is also fiscally prudent as it saves costs in medical programs and care in the long run.
