Save These Dates!
New York State Advocacy Day is April 8, 2008
Join the Rochester delegation by bus for the day!
The National Beast Cancer Coalition Fund's Annual Conference will be held
April 26 - 29, 2008, in the Renaissance Hotel in Washington DC
Early Bird Registration ends December 14, 2007
Information at the NBCC website at natlbcc.org
 The Advocacy Committee
We work with the local, state, and national elected officials to help them understand that breast cancer is a major health issue in this country affecting millions of women and families.
We lobby at the local, state, and national levels for legislation that will support our mission and increase funds available for research, focusing on cause and cure.
We attend the National Breast Cancer Coalition's Advocacy Training Conferences each year, in an effort to provide our own community with as many trained advocates as our funds will allow.
We participate in medical and scientific conferences each year, to strengthen our position in the scientific community.
We work with the National Breast Cancer Coalition by contacting our members of Congress regarding legislation on quality and availability of care, healthcare reform, and research funding.
We help organize and attend rallies in Albany and Washington D.C.
We work with citizen and environmental agencies and organizations, such as NYPIRG, BCERF and RAMP, to increase awareness about environmental hazards related to breast cancer and other public health risks.
Terri Schmidt Legislative Reception
Thursday, March 15, 2007, 4:30–7:30
In April 2002 we lost one of our beloved friends and fearless leaders, Terri Schmidt, to breast cancer. Terri worked tirelessly towards our mission to make the eradication of breast cancer a priority through education and advocacy and to promote and focus research into the causes, prevention, treatment, and cure of breast cancer.
A former supervisor of the town of Rush, New York, Terri Schmitt was a champion for those in our community dealing with AIDS, domestic violence, illiteracy, and a tireless advocate for women and men living with breast cancer. This reception is held in her honor each year. Please join BCCR members and legislators for light refreshments and a brief program.
Please call 585-473-8177 with any questions.
Local
The Committee's meeting time is at Noon, the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 840 University Avenue.
Advocacy committee led the effort to pass the Monroe county 48-hr Pesticide Notification Law in 2005 which became effective January 1.
State
Local Advocacy Day – April 19, 2007
 The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester is holding its bi-annual New York State Local Advocacy Day on April 19, 2007. We will be meeting with our area state legislators, both Assemblymen and Senators. However, Rebecca Solomon and Phyllis Connelly did travel to Albany to witness the signing of Senator Alesi's Resolution declaring March 20, 2007 the New York State Breast Cancer Network's Advocacy Day in Albany.
While there, we gathered with other advocates from around the state to view for the first time, a film “On the Attack – Expectations for a Cancer Cure.” This film examined the scientific and social dimensions of fighting cancer, including a detailed history of cancer research throughout the 20th century. It maintains that after decades of using pharmaceutical weapons to fight cancer, some scientists are disillusioned with that approach, and many now call for a more preventive emphasis, even while others blithely predict imminent cure. The film looks at research developments, showing how environmental and dietary studies have become marginalized.There was a Q and A session after the film, with questions answered by NYSBCN Environmental Committee members Karen Miller, Hope Nemiroff, Margaret Roberts, and Laura Weinberg.
This was followed by a discussion of a number of issues which have Priority status with the Network, including a package of three bills which would (1) require state and local agencies to take a precautionary approach when making decisions that may have a significant effect on public health or the environment; (2) require state agencies to buy safe and sustainable products and services; and (3) establish a statewide health tracking and bio-monitoring program ( Sponsors for this health-tracking bill are local Assemblyman David Koon and Senator James Alesi)
Our local visits on the 19th of April will focus on these and other pertinent health issues.Next spring we hope to, once again, charter a bus and take a larger Rochester delegation to Albany to be part of the Network's Advocacy Day in our state's Capital.
To learn more about the New York State Breast Cancer Network, visit their web site.
National
Visit the National Breast Cancer Coalition for listing and descriptions of their legislative priorities. See public policy activities in the lefthand column on the home page and click on Legislative Priorities.
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