Thank You Less Cancer
Watch out Traverse City — here comes Less Cancer! On June 25, Less Cancer will ride into town. A bike team raising funding for cancer prevention programming for the Next Generation Choices Foundation (commonly known as Less Cancer) will be riding a colossal 300+ miles from Detroit, to Traverse City, Michigan. Out of any place in the United States, this national organization elected to honor us by hosting its major annual fundraiser for 2017 in Traverse City, Michigan.
Less Cancer initiated the U.S. Congressional Cancer Prevention Caucus, National Cancer Prevention Day, and the National Cancer Prevention Day Workshop. The workshop is an accredited workshop for continuing education for physicians, nurses and public health workers that connects science with policy makers and is streamed live with global participants.
Since 2004, the Next Generation Choices Foundation has conducted its Less Cancer Campaign to educate and develop policies to address increasing incidences of cancer. The nonprofit organization works under the guidance of evidence-based science to end preventable cancers.
Less Cancer educates, bringing content to a global audience addressing behavioral and environmental risks linked to cancer. Less Cancer has been involved with policy that works to protect those who may not be able to protect themselves, such as children, and has supported efforts in places such as the Seacoast in New Hampshire where there is a double pediatric cancer cluster. The organization’s premise is that when you work to prevent cancer, you in turn address other pressing public health issues including diabetes and obesity. Both conditions are top issues in Northern Michigan, as identified by Munson Medical Center in the 2016 Community Needs Assessment. Munson Healthcare will be focusing on the Northern Michigan community health issue of obesity for 2018 with programming.
For more information check out Less Cancer on the web. You can also follow Less Cancer Founder Bill Couzens on the Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and the Less Cancer Journal.
When I asked Bill what he was most excited about in coming to Traverse City he said this; “ Katie, I am so honored to be part of your good work, the work of Munson Healthcare and the Cowell Family Cancer Center. I am grateful that Casey Cowell had suggested the idea of routing the bike ride to Traverse City.”
Couzens continued, “This is an opportunity to connect with the Traverse City community and to honor those who have survived the grizzly fight that comes with cancer. The work for cancer prevention not only addresses those that have not had cancer, but those who have had cancer and to prevent future incidences of cancer.”
David S. Gordon, M.D., Physician in Chief of Munson Cancer Services, states that cancer survivors “still have a slight increase in new cancer incidence compared to the population as a whole and should participate in cancer prevention programs along with the population at large.”
By coming to TC, Less Cancer brings national awareness to cancer survivors, cancer prevention and health and wellness efforts of Munson Medical Center Cowell Family Cancer Center, Northern Michigan, and each and every one of us impacted by cancer. The Cowell Family Cancer Center was recognized this year on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC at National Cancer Prevention Day for its work in health promotion and prevention.
Whether you are a survivor in remission, a family member who has prepared a meal for a loved one during cancer treatment, a health care provider having treated a patient with cancer, a metastatic survivor, a neighbor who has driven a patient to a medical appointment, someone who has attended a spaghetti dinner to help raise money to pay for a community member’s medical bills, or someone who has ever had a friend or family member with a cancer diagnosis, YOU are touched by cancer. We all are touched by cancer.
The Less Cancer Ride, will finish at Munson’s Cowell Family Cancer Center Survivor’s and Prevention Picnic on June 25, which takes place from 3pm–6pm in the parking lot of the center under tents. This day will also honor the 10 year anniversary of the Munson Medical Center and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Pediatric Oncology Clinic, providing pediatric cancer care in Northern Michigan. Prior to this clinic, children in Northern Michigan battling cancer had to endure long car rides to travel 100’s of miles out of town with their families for this specialty care.
The picnic is open to the entire community. Local cyclists may join the Less Cancer team for a 14 mile ride led by Nancy Reye, M.D. (staged from the Mobile gas station in Interlochen at the corner of US 31 and 137) or a family friendly ½ mile ride led by Norte (staged from Munson Family Medicine Residency Building Parking Lot, 1400 Medical Campus Dr. at Munson).
The picnic will recognize survivors, have keynote speeches on survivorship and prevention by Munson oncologists, lead donor Casey Cowell and Bill Couzens, Founder of Less Cancer. 50+ community partners are volunteering to provide information and free samples regarding survivorship, prevention, health, and wellness. Healthy food will be free for the community from the Cowell Family Cancer Center Sprout Cafe. There will be live music and free massage, yoga, exercise classes, meditation classes, acupuncture, Bowen therapy, and shiatsu. The picnic will include a kid’s tent with art and music therapy. For more information on the picnic: Click Here
On behalf of Northern Michigan and Traverse City, thank you Less Cancer for bringing your national message of cancer survivorship and prevention awareness to our community. We look forward to seeing you at the picnic!
