Acting Locally But Thinking Globally: UCF Participates in LIVESTRONG Global Summit

Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults Selected to Participate in Premiere
LIVESTRONG® Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland

First-ever event to bring together world leaders, advocates and corporations from
more than 60 countries to address the global cancer burden

Columbia, Maryland, USA – August 18, 2009 – Today the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults announced that Brock Yetso (Executive Director) and Diana Ulman (Founding Member) will represent the organization at the premiere LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland, August 24 - 26. The Summit is the landmark event of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign, an effort of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). Yetso and Ulman will represent the organization’s commitment to fight cancer in Howard County and the Maryland/DC/VA Region and engage with world media, political leaders, representatives of non-governmental organizations and corporate leadership.

“In August of 1996 we were told that our son Doug had cancer – He was 19 – now, 13 years later, we join Doug, President of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and hundreds of determined advocates to build a world wide community resolute in its mission to take control of cancer – to conquer it – to triumph over it – all of us together – this is what we have been working toward – this is our journey – thank you, Doug for leading us here” said Diana Ulman, UCF Founding Member.

“The Global Cancer Summit provides our organization a unique opportunity to highlight the positive work in our community on a global platform. Using sport, education & awareness, and the mobilization of thousands of people around the young adult cause, we hope to change the way our community and region address the young adult cancer issue” commented Brock Yetso, UCF Executive Director.

“Cancer is a major public health problem that affects every country in every region of the world regardless of economic and social situation,” said Lance Armstrong, LAF founder and chairman, cancer survivor and champion cyclist. “Through collective action, we will make a renewed commitment to reducing the burden of cancer around the world and break down the stigma and silence too often associated with the disease.”

In September 2008, Armstrong announced the Foundation’s commitment to making cancer a global priority at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York. The LAF made this commitment after its worldwide research, conducted over 18 months, revealed widespread misconceptions, stigma and lack of awareness associated with cancer.

In response, the LAF established the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign to urgently address the burden of cancer worldwide and support the 28 million people living with cancer around the globe. Cancer kills more people every year than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. It is estimated that cancer will be the leading cause of death worldwide by 2010.

With such staggering statistics, the LAF recognized that a global challenge like cancer required a global movement. And so it began urging world leaders, leading cancer organizations and cancer survivors to join together by making commitments to take action in their communities to reduce the burden of cancer.

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults Global Commitment

The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults is proud to join the LIVESTRONG movement with a commitment to use sport, education and awareness at the community level to mobilize people in the fight against cancer.

Through grassroots advocacy & education, the promotion of exercise & healthy living and by facilitating young adult patient navigation in cancer centers, the UCF is working to empower young adults and families to face cancer with the knowledge, resources and hope necessary to thrive. Our work at the community level will help create and promote an environment where young people and families can come together to thrive against this deadly disease.
Description:
The UCF will commit delivering the following two programs as a participant in the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit.

1) Young Adult Patient Navigation Program at University of Maryland Marlene & Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center - http://www.umgcc.org/patient_info/ulman_nav.htm

2) Half Full Triathlon on October 3, 2010 - a Half Iron distance triathlon hosted on LIVESTRONG Day weekend 2010 that will mobilize, educate and empower over 5,000 people in the fight against cancer - http://www.halffulltri.org

These two programs are in align with the 2020 targets in that they target public attitudes toward cancer, promote early detection and screening and promote access to accurate cancer diagnosis', appropriate cancer treatments, supportive care, rehabilitation services and palliative care which will faciliate improved outcomes for patients worldwide.
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults is looking forward to participating in the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland from August 24-26, 2009 and helping to make the case for acting urgently to address the global cancer burden.

Unlike other conferences and forums, the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit is unique in that it will kick off a unified global movement while providing attendees the opportunity to connect with other advocates, network, gain media exposure and access tools and resources to help them mobilize in their own communities. Speakers include honorary Summit chair and former Irish President Mary Robinson, Irish Cancer Chief Professor Tom Keane, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta as well as representatives from the World Health Organization and other global bodies.

For more information on the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign and the Summit, please visit http://www.livestrong.org/

About the Lance Armstrong Foundation
At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we fight for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. There can be – and should be – life after cancer for more people. That's why we kick in at the moment of diagnosis, giving people the resources and support they need to fight cancer head-on. We find innovative ways to raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma about cancer that many survivors face. We connect people and communities to drive social change, and we call for state, national and world leaders to help fight this disease. Anyone anywhere can join our fight against cancer. Join us at http://www.livestrong.org/.