50 ways to help

Affect Public Policy:

Join the LiveStrong Army – advocates who believe that as a country, We Can Do Better in fighting cancer. Click here to join.
Identify your senators (www.senate.gov and www.house.gov) and send a letter or e-mail stating your concern that with 1500 people dieing every day from cancer, the war on cancer needs to be a greater national priority.
Observe the legislative process for funding for the National Cancer Institute and actively express your opposition to any proposed cuts in funding for the NCI. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the largest funding source for cancer research, delivering advances in prevention, detection and treatment. Click here for Info.
Attend candidate forums for elections and ask the candidates, “With 1500 Americans dieing of cancer every day and the immeasurable human suffering that is caused by cancer everywhere, how will you make cancer a greater national priority?”
Apply the power of your vote by including the candidate’s positions on cancer related issues in your voting decision process.
Call a talk radio program and state your concern that with 1500 people dieing every day from cancer, the war on cancer needs to be a greater national priority.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper recapping two powerful cancer statistics and say We Can Do Better! in the war on cancer. Click here for American Cancer Society 2007 Statistics.

Take Community Action:

8. Influence directors of a local fitness event (like a 5k Run or a cycling event) to designate a charity fighting cancer as a beneficiary. Offer to coordinate a fundraising event in conjunction with the fitness event.

9. Organize a fundraising event to benefit a charity or a community cancer survivor who needs financial assistance. 5K runs, walks, bicycling events, motorcycle rallies, bowling, cooking, wine tasting, chili cook-offs, fashion shows, card games. It only takes energy, time, and organization skills.

10. Contact a local cancer care provider and volunteer to organize a cancer screening in your church, workplace or community center.

11. Contact a local cancer care professional and arrange for them speak about screening for cancer at your church,workplace or community center.

12. Identify existing local government programs and volunteer to help. To find cancer programs run by state governments, contact: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tel: 1-888-842-6355 or click here for more info.

13. Start your own Blog (www.blogger.com/start) about how cancer has affected your life and why you feel we can do better in the war on cancer.

14. Start a website to share information about cancer statistics and how as a nation we can do better in the war on cancer. Click here for info.

15. Start an online support group or a face-to-face group in your community for cancer survivors, care-givers, young adults, or families. Click here for info.

16. Join an online support group for survivors or caregivers. Click here for info.

Run, Walk, Roll, or Cycle to raise funds for the war on cancer:

17. Lance Armstrong Foundation - LiveStrong Challenges

18. Susan G. Komen Foundation - Race for the Cure

19. American Cancer Society - Relay for Life

20. Lymphoma And Leukemia Society - Team in Training

Assist a Friend or Family Member:

21. Ask if you can help and offer specific ideas.

22. Offer to help organize bills and insurance EOBs.

23. Tell somebody about the LiveStrong Support Line. It could change their sense of hope and that changes everything. Click here for info.

24. Offer to take the children out for a meal, movie, or bowling,

25. Organize a meal preparation team and rotate delivering a warm meal for the family of someone in treatment.

26. Offer to mow the yard or rake the leaves of a family with a member in treatment.

27. Offer to drive a friend in treatment to an appointment.

28. Offer to be their library or movie store courier. Keep track of when books and movie rentals are due.

29. Ask if you can sit with a friend through a round of treatment – You’ve been needing some quality time together and there is no better quality than “right now.”

30. Take your cues from the person with cancer. Some people are very private while others will talk more about their illness. Respect the person's need to share or their need to remain quiet.

31. Let them know you care.

32. Respect decisions about how the cancer will be treated, even if you disagree.

33. Include the person in usual work projects or social events. Let them be the one to tell you if the commitment is too much to manage.

34. Listen without always feeling that you have to respond. Sometimes a caring listener is what the person needs the most.

35. Keep your relationship as normal and balanced as possible. Expect the person with cancer to have good days and bad days, emotionally and physically.

Prevention and Screening:

36. Don't smoke. If you smoke now, quit. Don't hesitate to seek help with the effort.

37. Lose extra weight.

38. Limit unprotected time in the sun.

39. Make regular physical activity a greater priority in your life.
Improve your diet to be low-fat, low-sugar, high-fibre and rich with fruits and vegetables.
Talk to your doctor about routine screening for cancer (American Cancer Society suggestions):

40. Breast: Yearly mammograms starting at 40 for women. Clinical breast exams during routine checkups for women, starting in their 20s.

41. Colon and rectum: Simple screening for all people starting at age 50.

42. Prostate: Digital rectal exam and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test should be offered annually to men, starting at 50. Men at higher risk, including black men, should begin testing at 45.

43. Cervix: Screening should start about three years after a woman starts having intercourse, but no later than age 21.

44. Perform a self-exam of your breasts: click here for info.

45. Perform a self-exam of your testicles men: click here for info.

46. Know the symptoms of cervical cancer: click here for info.

Support a Charity working in the war on cancer. Click One or More:

47. Lance Armstrong Foundation

48. American Cancer Society

49. Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

50. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

51. Buy and wear a yellow LiveStrong bracelet. Give them as gifts! Click here for info.

52. Decide what it means to you to Live Strong and then just do it.