WASHINGTON, D.C. – Maryland men's basketball head coach Mark Turgeon joined nearly 650 cancer patients, advocates, survivors, caregivers and their families for the ACS CAN annual Leadership Summit and Lobby Day Tuesday morning.
Turgeon joined other Division I basketball coaches Frank Martin (South Carolina) and Phil Martelli (Saint Joseph's) as the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network teamed up with members of Coaches vs. Cancer to host a rally in the morning with leaders of the nation's top comprehensive cancer research centers.
The coaches sent volunteers off to meet members of Congress in each of the 100 Senate offices and nearly 400 House offices after speaking about their personal cancer connections and why cancer research is so critical.
The ACS CAN's annual lobby day is to urge lawmakers to protect funding for cancer research and prevention programs, support legislation that supports patients' quality of life and eliminate a cost barrier to Medicare beneficiaries trying to access lifesaving colon cancer screenings.
Turgeon, Martin and Martelli are all members of Coaches vs. Cancer, which was created by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The program exists to leverage the strength, community leadership and celebrity of our country's basketball coaches to fight cancer. Coaches vs. Cancer is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
