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Inaugural Artist of the Year Contest launches!

To celebrate how the emotions of art can tell a story and inspire, the inaugural American Cancer Society Artist of the Year Contest launches on World Art Day, April 15! This contest, created as a unique annual stewardship opportunity, calls for artists from all disciplines to create a custom piece of art and personal statement showcasing how cancer has impacted them. Artists should submit their work by June 30 to be considered for the first-ever American Cancer Society Artist of the Year!

We need your help to make this contest a success! Please use this communications toolkit to reach out to your partners, volunteers, and donors to encourage them to submit a piece and spread the word. In this toolkit, you’ll find an email template, two graphics, and social copy for X/Twitter and Facebook (you cannot post contests on LinkedIn).

Help us create a memorable moment for a talented artist. Their work will be mass distributed to our donor base as a collector item in various forms to be used for your continued stewardship of supporters across the organization.

Questions?

Contact the stewardship team at stewardship@cancer.org.

  • Top steppers for Fit2Be Cancer Free CEO challenge announced

    ​CEOs and their employees across the country are stepping up to fight cancer through the ACS Fit2Be Cancer Free Challenge. To kick off this two-week virtual step competition, the Fit2Be CEOs Challenge took place on April 10, when 52 registered CEOs hit the pavement to log as many steps as possible during the 24-hour challenge. Collectively, the CEOs totaled 2,017,583 steps during the challenge window. 

    Congratulations to the top three steppers and the most active on social during the 24-hour CEO Challenge: 

    • 1st place: Brendan Freeman, CEO’s Against Cancer – Wisconsin Chapter (112,231 steps) 
    • 2nd place: Juliet Breeze, MD, Next Level Medical (111,441 steps)
    • 3rd place: Matt Kersting, CFA, CSI Leasing, Inc. (105,923 steps)
    • Most Socially Active: Steve O’Loughlin, LHM

    As part of the two-week employee challenge, participants experience a virtual journey that encourages steps each day, engages them through ACS mission milestones, and provides an opportunity to raise funds for our work. The top companies will be recognized the afternoon of April 25 in the following categories:  

    • 2025 National Employee Challenge Winner: for the company with the most distance accrued 
    • Mission Impact Winner: for the company with the most dollars raised 
    • Highest Average Participation for the company with the highest average distance per participants 

    Check out the Challenge leaderboard, or make a donation, at www.cancer.org/fit2be.​

  • Pickleball challenge takes a swing at cancer

    ​The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) and the American Cancer Society will join forces during National Pickleball Month this April to launch the APP National Pickleball Challenge, a nationwide initiative designed to support people facing cancer and build healthier communities.

    The APP National Pickleball Challenge tasks participants to play pickleball ten times during the month and track their active minutes, competing for a spot atop the national leaderboard. Whether it’s playing a competitive match, enjoying a casual match with friends, cardio training, or bouncing a ball up and down on a paddle, any pickleball-related activity will count towards the challenge. Players can register and start fundraising today on JustGiving and will start tracking their pickleball activity on April 1 via the Stridekick mobile application or manually.

    One hundred percent of the proceeds raised during the APP National Pickleball Challenge will directly benefit the American Cancer Society.

    ​How It Works 

    • ​Sign Up: Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 26, register for the APP National Pickleball Challenge on JustGiving.

    • Start fundraising! All challengers that generate $25 in donations will receive a free “Strength & Hope” T-shirt from the American Cancer Society and the top ten fundraisers will receive a revolutionary OWL Sport paddle from the APP.

    • Grab your paddle and get moving! Once the challenge is live on April 1, you can easily track your activity and compete with friends using the Stridekick mobile app. It even allows you to connect your fitness tracker and work your way up the national leaderboard for active minutes.

    • Spread the word about the APP National Pickleball Challenge and share updates on your progress throughout the month on social media to spark more donations! ​​


  • Mike Neal, chief of organizational advancement, announces retirement

    In an email to all ACS team members, Interim CEO Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick shared that after nearly three decades of service, Mike Neal, chief of organizational advancement, has announced his plan to retire from the organization on April 11. “As a trusted leader and friend to many throughout his tenure with the organization, Mike's ability to connect with others, build strong partnerships, and bring out the best in everyone he worked with will leave an enduring legacy,” Dr. Frederick shared in the message. 

    Mike’s career has been one of service to others. From his early days at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ohio Department of Health, to the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, and finally his home at the American Cancer Society – Mike has been a servant leader who has always worked to better the lives of others. He joined ACS in 1996 as vice president of the Western Pennsylvania Region, where he led the development of a new field structure, moving from a unit/county-based model to a region model. In 2007, Mike was appointed to the role of senior vice president, division operations, in the former East Central Division (Pennsylvania and Ohio), and went on to serve the enterprise as senior executive vice president of field operations for four years prior to his appointment as chief of organizational advancement in 2021. 

    Throughout the course of Mike’s career with the organization, he has hired, developed and mentored several ACS leaders across the country. He was also instrumental in building our current regional model in Development and successfully achieved year-over-year revenue growth during his time as chief of organizational advancement.  

    The American Cancer Society congratulates Mike on this well-deserved retirement and celebrates his invaluable service to the mission for nearly 30 years!​

  • Celebrating more of our 2024 volunteer award winners

    In addition to those who were recognized at the Volunteer Leadership Summit in Dallas this past January, there are many more tremendous volunteer leaders to celebrate through the national awards program. Several individuals, partners, and events were recently selected and recognized in the following categories: cross-cutting awards, Development, Discovery, and Patient Support. Together, this outstanding group of individuals and partners have raised significant funds, served hundreds of patients, and demonstrated a strong commitment to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.

    The following are award winners who were not already recognized at the Volunteer Leadership Summit in January. Additional winners will be announced at the Patient Support Virtual Summit in April. Congratulations to our 2024 award winners:

    CROSS-CUTTING AWARD CATEGORIES

    2024 ACS Young Leader Award: Sam Keimweiss, intern, United States Senate

    2024 St. George Award Winners

    • ​Northeast Region: David Arends, owner, chairman, CEO​ & visionary of CR Architecture + Design and Mark Feinman, attorney, Mark Feinman Law Offices

    • North Region: Vaughn Moore, chairman and CEO, AIT Worldwide Logistics and Joe Leahy, partner and chief creative officer for HLK Advertising Agency

    • Southeast Region: Omar M. Rashid, MD, JD, FACS, FSSO, DABS and Dan Chappell, executive vice president & chief human resources officer at Seacoast Bank

    • South Region: Chad Richison, founder and CEO of Paycom and Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman, vice president and chief marketing officer, ASTOUNDZ

    • West Region: Robin Toft, entrepreneur, impact investor and author of WE CAN, The Executive Women’s Guide to Career Advancement and Joan August, vice president, Cedars Sinai Cancer at Cedars Sinai Health System

    2024 Volunteer Staff Partnership Award Winners

    • ​Northeast Region: Ein Migano, vice president and general manager, Turner Construction Company, Carrey Sanders, senior vice president, Middle Market Banking Leader at Fifth Third Bank, and Melanie Schmid, associate director, Development

    • North Region: Robert Low, CEO​ and founder, Prime Trucking and Sherri Tjaden, associate director, Development

    • Southeast Region: Dan Chappell, executive vice president & Chief Human Resources Officer, Seacoast Bank and Theresa Woodson, senior development manager

    • South Region: John Michael Rowland, proprietor of Pigeon and Whale Restaurant and Henry Heaton, director, Development - Region Innovation

    • West Region: Steven Ai, chairman of City Mall and the ACS Hawaii team

    ​DEVELOPMENT AWARD CATEGORIES

    ​​Development Volunteer Award for Excellence: Kaye Monfort (posthumously) executive volunteer leader of the Northern Colorado Cattle Baron's Ball​

    PATIENT SUPPORT AWARD CATEGORIES

    Save the date! Health Systems Partner of the Year and the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award will be presented at the upcoming Patient Support Virtual Volunteer Summit on Wednesday, April 23. In addition, several other patient support award categories will be presented to outstanding volunteers from across the country during this one-hour session. All ACS team members and supporters are encouraged to join the celebration so save the date and look for registration information in the coming weeks!

    Once again, congratulations to all volunteers and team members who were honored! Continue to watch ACS news and social channels as we continue to celebrate our 2024 winners in the coming months.

  • Round up against cancer with this new American Cancer Society branded solution

    Consumers can now safely and easily round up all purchases made, online or in brick-and-mortar stores, throughout the year to help end cancer as we know it, for everyone. The American Cancer Society recently launched Rounding Up Against Cancer, an ACS-branded solution that allows anyone to enroll a credit card (Visa or Mastercard only) and support the mission by rounding up purchase transactions to the nearest dollar in support of the mission. This unique program creates monthly donors for the organization and offers friction-less credit card account linking with seamless integration for the consumer. In addition, donors can set personalized donation goals as well as earn cash back offers. ​

    In support of this new donation offering, a Rounding Up Against Cancer landing page has been developed to guide people through the enrollment process. Signing up is quick, safe, and secure. With Rounding Up Against Cancer, enrollees can receive monthly statements to keep track of their contributions, set a monthly limit on their donations, and pause donations at any time. 

    Every little bit counts and although it may not feel like much, the spare change from every transaction truly adds up.

    Visit cancer.org/roundingupagainstcancer to learn more and get started! ​​​

  • Exceptional ACS fundraisers celebrated at Top Performers conference

    ​The American Cancer Society’s top-performing fundraising teams from Relay For Life, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and the DetermiNation series, along with their staff partners, convened in Atlanta, GA, last week for a weekend of inspiration and recognition during the annual Top Performers conference.

    This elite group of fundraisers from across the nation collectively raised more than $7.4 million last year in support of the ACS mission. Led by the theme “Light the way, leave a legacy,” the weekend featured a lineup of engaging sessions featuring inspiring volunteer speakers such as Relay Hall of Famer Phylecia Wilson, pictured above, and Nucor Steel Hertford Relay For Life Team Captain William Riddick’s session on battling burnout and reigniting your spirit.

    The 2024 Top Performers conference left volunteers and staff partners alike feeling motivated and empowered to drive fundraising and fuel the important work of ACS. As Interim CEO Dr. A. I. Wayne Frederick reminded the group, “Our purpose in life every day is to amplify other people’s humanity.”

    Attendees also had the opportunity to meet and spend time with ACS executive leaders and hear directly from Senior Vice President of Population Science Dr. Alpa Patel and her team about the latest in ACS-funded research, trends and advancements.

    “I enjoyed the awards ceremony—a special moment to celebrate the top teams and hear what they are most proud of,” said Heather Mills, Nationwide Top Performers volunteer co-lead. “Throughout the weekend, they had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the ACS mission, advancements in research, and collaborate with one another. Most importantly, the experience reignited their passion and motivation to continue the vital work in the fight against cancer.”

    One top performer shared, “We aren’t just fundraisers. We’re volunteers, leaders and changemakers.” One of the most memorable moments came from a surprise video from the mother of William Riddick who reminded everyone, “what matters most, is what comes next.” 

  • ACS and Aflac team up to encourage cancer prevention and early detection

    ​To encourage proactive health care and assist in mitigating health care costs and other challenges, the American Cancer Society and Aflac are teaming up to bring attention to the connection between health and wellness, preventative care and the physical, emotional and financial toxicity of a cancer diagnosis.   

    Throughout this year, ACS and Aflac will work together to raise awareness about cancer prevention and early detection amongst employees, businesses and consumers nationwide. ACS programs and services will also be shared with Aflac’s policyholders, which will particularly benefit those who have experienced a cancer diagnosis and are facing potential financial and logistical challenges. Programs highlighted for policyholders include Road To Recovery, Hope Lodge and the launch of the cancer.org/Aflac​ landing page.  

    “We’re pleased to be working with Aflac in this mutual effort to make our services and programs more readily available to those who need it the most,” said Chief Patient Officer Dr. Arif Kamal. “Cancer can’t be fought alone. It takes a great deal of community support and greater access to resources to overcome the obstacles that many people with cancer, and their loved ones, face every day.” 

    Aflac Incorporated President Virgil Miller said, “Aflac and the American Cancer Society are closely aligned on this mission, and we are pleased to partner with them to better serve families facing the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. These shared programs and a strong focus on wellness and overall preventive care will help impact lives in a positive way with better health and financial outcomes when a person is diagnosed with cancer early.” 

    As an added level of commitment, Miller will initiate the first CEOs Against Cancer chapter in Georgia, where Aflac is headquartered, joining a group of prominent CEOs across the nation.  

  • Campus Relay For Life Fund the Mission Challenge smashes fundraising goal

    Another successful Campus Relay For Life Fund the Mission Challenge recently surpassed its $200,000 goal thanks to our next generation of volunteer leaders. Organized by the Volunteer National Campus and Youth Engagement Team, this 72-hour fundraising challenge for all high school and college Campus Relay For Life events took place from Feb. 11-13 and raised more than $271,740.

    ​This is the highest amount raised in over five years and an increase of almost $70,000. 

    ​Beginning in 2012, the annual challenge encourages attendees and volunteers to compete for top prizes right before the event season starts.

    Categories for the 2025 challenge included:

    • Top Fundraising College Event 
    • Top Fundraising High School Event ​
    • ​​​​Second and third place College and High School Fundraising Events
    • Top Year Over Year Growth Event 
    • Top 10 Fundraising Participant, College 
    • ​​​Top 10 Fundraising Participant, Youth 

    Events/chapters that raised $2,500 or more during the challenge are also entered to win a chance to attend the Campus Relay For Life Leadership Summit in July 2025.

    Special congratulations to:

    • ​Our Top Fundraising College Event: Relay For Life of Coastal Carolina University (Chinel Boateng, senior development manager)
    • Top Fundraising High School Event: Relay For Life of Mission San Jose (Haley Huntington, senior development manager)
    • Relay For Life of Coastal Carolina University also won the Top Year Over Year Growth category this year with 23.6% growth. 
    This year's challenge also kicked off with a registration challenge discount day which resulted in 1,412 volunteers registering for a campus Relay For Life event in the 24-hour window. 
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