As we turn our calendars into March, we’re delighted to mark the one year anniversary of the 80% by 2018 launch.  We enter this month with a lot of energy and momentum after what has been a remarkable year.  With over 200 partner organizations now signing the 80% by 2018 pledge to our new tested messages for the unscreened to the intensive strategic planning process that many of you assisted us with last summer and fall – we have all the building blocks to build the bridge to 2018.  Most importantly, the 80% by 2018 effort is taking hold across the country.  We hear example after example of organizations, communities and coalitions who have not just signed the pledge, but who are using the pledge as a rallying cry, an energizing goal, and a tool to focus efforts on colorectal cancer screening in a way that we have never seen.

We hope to capture some of this energy during a live interactive broadcast event that Dr. Lisa Richardson of the CDC and I will be hosting today, Monday, March 9^th at 2:00pm EST.  We have lots to share and will be hearing from some amazing national and local leaders – including a special recorded segment from Katie Couric, in which she has a message to share with all of you.   Please join the event – and share with all your colleagues – through the link below.  If you can’t make it, a replay will be available.

http://event.onlineseminarsolutions.com/r.htm?e=947143&s=1&k=0FC65C0E808D2A507E043D097359DE24

We also hope you will visit the 80% by 2018 section of nccrt.org, as we have a lot of new tools and resources for all of you, including the new Communications Guidebook, briefs for different audiences who have signed the pledge and new collateral around 80% by 2018:

http://nccrt.org/tools/80-percent-by-2018/

Finally, I’m pleased to share the good news that White House is once again proclaiming this month Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!  They said it couldn’t be done last year –they said it wasn’t going to happen this year, but once again, our amazing colleagues have pulled this off.   I want to acknowledge the work of Fight Colorectal Cancer, the Colon Cancer Alliance, Congressman Donald Payne, ACS CAN and many others who have worked so hard to make sure the month is being acknowledged at the highest levels.

Please direct any questions about the info above to Mary Doroshenk, NCCRT Director at [email protected]

Thanks for the great work you do!

Enjoy the month, and please let us know how we can help.

Rich