Get Your Rear in Gear & Colon Cancer Coalition 2010

Yesterday, I walked into a coffee shop and saw someone who has touched my life – a teacher.   Pacy Erck was one of my teachers growing up and was one of the few with a spirit that made junior high hormones talk openly.  Nothing much had changed with her spirit.  Strangers, coffee shop personnel, and I all were jabbering with her about everything.

After I walked back to my table, Pacy asked me what I was doing up so early at the shop.  I told her, “Working.”  What I really needed to say is “Avoiding.”  That’s right; I’ve been avoiding writing my annual update on where the Get Your Rear in Gear – Colon Cancer Coalition is today.  Quite frankly, it has felt like being back in school where I avoided writing a term paper because I wanted the words to make the grade.

The truth be told, I need to be frank with colon cancer.  It sucked ten years ago when my family found out my sister was a stage four survivor.  Today it still sucks, yet we have so much possibility to change that.  The message I want people to hear in 2010 is that the Colon Cancer Coalition will continue to concentrate efforts on awareness and access to screening.  Research and development are important, but the critical efforts around screening remain.  Upwards of 25,000 lives can be saved annually within 3-5 years with early screening.

The Get Your Rear in Gear campaign can’t be done without each of you or the people we have hired.  This organization was built by a grassroots army of people touched by cancer.  As a result, we will do powerful things in close to 30 communities across the United States.  Millions of people will hear our message because of you.

To help our army, I’m proud to announce that the Colon Cancer Coalition has hired Anne Carlson-Davis as our new Executive Director.  She comes to us with over fifteen years of experience in non-profit and twenty years of being a two-time survivor of cancer.

Within a few weeks of being hired, Anne has been sitting in the same coffee shop I sat in yesterday on a regular basis.  The difference is I got free beans from Pacy Erck and Anne uses the shop to network for cancer. Anne knows the importance of building bridges with existing organizations to grease the wheel, instead of reinventing it.  She is so talented at enhancing cancer fighting relationships that I no longer have to watch television.  I just watch Anne.

We have also hired a talented national team worthy of “coffee talk.”  Lisa Sanderson, who came to us from the most heard sports radio network, became our National Events Director.  Malia Frey, a Twin Cities writer and cancer survivor, was hired as our Promotion Director and Lead Writer.  Christie Lockhart is now our Accounting Coordinator.  Abby Hays, our intern, just makes us look stupid as she finishes up her last year at St. Thomas University.  Barb Rosen, a 20 year colon cancer survivor, consults for us from time to time.

We have a great team working hard for colon cancer.  We are honored to work for you and your loved ones.  My junior high teacher Pacy Erck taught me a great lesson in life. “We can change our world when we believe in people.”