Public Health

cancervotes:

It only took a few minutes for Cancer Votes New York to stand out in the crowd outside the presidential debate last night.

The Cancer Votes New York team had only just arrived at the public space at Hofstra University outside the presidential debate when they were interviewed by a local television crew, one of three that interviewed them last night about Cancer Votes.

The Cancer Votes New York team set up the Eastern division Cancer Votes van in the public space outside of the debate and talked to people “from all sides of the political spectrum” about making cancer an election issue, according to Cancer Votes staffer Michael Davoli.

Cancer Votes staff Hillary Clarke and Michael Davoli were joined by volunteers Emy Funderburke, Diane Rauss, Fran Slobodin, Elsy Mecklembourg and Pamela Cartledge talking to people about Cancer Votes, gathering petition signatures, and asking people to sign the van

The volunteers, almost all of whom were new to Cancer Votes and ACS CAN, went out into the audience with clipboards while Davoli spoke on stage and asked people to sign the petition, which asks people to make cancer an election issue.

The public area was filled with volunteers and representatives from dozens of other nonprofits and causes, and about 100 people signed the petitions. A number of people also signed the van.

During Davoli’s turn speaking, he told the audience that in New York, 293 people will be diagnosed with cancer each day, and that together we all need to fight so that the number doesn’t grow higher, but we need elected officials to lead that fight.

While flanked by two volunteers, Diane Rauss and Fran Slobodin, he called on the presidential candidates and all running for office to step up and lead that fight, and reminded everyone that cancer is a nonpartisan issue.