Published on May 13, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 13, 2014
MEDIA CONTACT:
Elizabeth Hoffler
(703) 519-2116
Elizabeth.Hoffler@preventcancer.org
The Alaska Colorectal Cancer Partnership’s video testimonials project receives top prize.
(ALEXANDRIA, Va.)—The Prevent Cancer Foundation awarded the first-place prize of its fourth annual Screening Saves Lives National Challenge to the Alaska Colorectal Cancer Partnership in Anchorage for its state-wide The Cancer I Can Prevent media campaign to increase colorectal cancer screening. The Partnership of tribal and non-tribal partners, clinics, hospitals, survivors, physicians and local non-profits is the winner of a $7,500 grant to enhance community-level colorectal awareness and screening efforts.
The project is based on research that shows that people are much more likely to get screened if they are encouraged by someone they know and trust. Building on print materials, the project will produce 8-12 short video testimonials from people who feel strongly about colorectal cancer screening and have a story to tell to encourage others to be screened. Some testimonials will tell of getting screened in spite of having fears, and all of them will help explain the process and provide emotional reasons for being committed to screening. Testimonials will be solicited throughout Alaska from people who may be familiar to many, such as a popular local athlete, a tribal leader, fisherman or teacher. The videos will be widely distributed and available online. In the first year of the campaign, the Partnership estimates reaching 7,000 Alaskans, including Alaska Natives, who have one of the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the nation.
Second-place winner Altru Health System of Grand Forks, North Dakota, will implement a fall awareness campaign focusing on “1 in 20 has colon cancer” to emphasize the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer and to reduce the number of late-stage diagnoses. The group will receive a $2,000 grant for their initiative aimed at addressing low screening rates in communities in northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. The third-place award went to The Colon Cancer Challenge Foundation in White Plains, New York, for their outreach focused on the underserved Chinese American population in New York City, including new immigrants who have little knowledge of the risks associated with colon cancer and ways to prevent it. The culturally-sensitive and linguistically-appropriate health education campaign will include information on colon cancer statistics and risk factors as well as a broad view of the effect this disease has on an individual life, a family and the larger community.
All three winners will receive recognition on the Prevent Cancer blog, the Screening Saves website and in Prevent Cancer’s online and print newsletters. “Prevent Cancer is proud of all the valuable colorectal cancer projects across the country that participated in the 2014 Challenge. They all are making a great impact at the community level through education, screening and creative outreach,” said Erica Childs Warner, M.P.H., Director of Evaluation and Outreach.
ScreeningSaves.org also serves as an online community where individuals can share personal stories and experiences, try out interactive tools and learn more about colorectal cancer and screening. The Prevent Cancer Foundation thanks everyone who has joined the Screening Saves community, all of this year’s applicants and our sponsors Amgen and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
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About the Prevent Cancer Foundation
Founded in 1985, Prevent Cancer Foundation is one of the nation’s leading health organizations that has catapulted cancer prevention to prominence. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided more than $134 million in support of cancer prevention and early detection research, education, advocacy and outreach programs across the country.
For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org.
