April 29, 2019 :: Author: Anjelica (“Anjee”) Davis and Richard Wender, MD

Anjelica (“Anjee”) Davis serves as President of Fight Colorectal Cancer, a national nonprofit founded in 2005. Ms. Davis co-chairs the NCCRT Public Awareness and Social Media Task Group and is a member of the NCCRT Steering Committee.

Dr. Richard Wender is the Chief Cancer Control Officer of the American Cancer Society and the Chair of the NCCRT.

March is always an extra special month for the NCCRT, our members, and the 80% pledged partners across the country. Of course, it is recognized as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, but we also have the pleasure to witness a community of dedicated organizations, inspirational survivors, and impassioned champions organize events and activities aimed at improving colorectal cancer screening rates to 80% nationwide.

For the past few years, the NCCRT has joined Fight Colorectal Cancer and the American Cancer Society, with support from the Mayo Clinic, Exact Sciences, UPS, and others, to host signature broadcast events to rally partners around the 80% by 2018 campaign. Those collaborations allowed us to place our campaign message among the bright lights of Times Square (2017) as well as spread that message via a month-long, cross country road trip from the Hollywood Hills to Capitol Hill (2018).

This year, we again joined together to host a national webcast, but we were faced with a new challenge: How do we raise the bar, celebrate the work of the past five years, and envision a future where 80% screening rates benefit every community?

The solution: Gather your friends, head to Superbowl city, and host a pep rally as ambitious as the goal to reach 80% in Every Community!

The Campaign Kick-off:  

80% in Every Community is more than a continuation of 80% by 2018. It is a rallying call to focus our efforts within communities and populations with persistently low screening rates. As such, the national launch of the campaign needed a setting that was as exciting and as bold as this new campaign promise.

On the morning of March 7, we announced the launch of 80% in Every Community to partners via Facebook live from the Mercedes-Benz stadium (Atlanta). In person, we were joined by more than 50 close partners, survivors, and local community members. Attendees were welcomed to the event by the Georgia State Spirit Squad, drumline, and Pounce the mascot. We were even joined by Frederick “Freddie” Falcon, official mascot of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons! Most importantly, colleagues from the Mayo Clinic and Fight Colorectal Cancer conducted “sideline interviews” with prominent advocates, survivors, and clinician champions. Watch the recorded video.

80% in Every Community Live Show

Later in the day, we held our March signature broadcast event, live from the American Cancer Society theater. The event featured survivors, partners, experts, and celebrity guests delivering heartfelt appeals that truly encompassed our core values of the 80% in Every Community campaign. Champions from leading public health organizations explained why 80% remains the perfect target for our efforts; 80% pledged partners shared video messages confirming their commitment to our efforts; we heard the emotional and all too common stories of dealing with cancer in the workplace, but even more, we heard the steps employers can take to not only support survivors, but also promote prevention and screening company-wide; a mix of celebrities, musicians, and professional athletes expressed their support to continue striving toward 80% and further encouraged individuals to get screened; vocal coach Mama Jan accompanied singer/songwriter Erin Kirby in an original song dedication for cancer survivors like their friend and colleague Erica Hoffman; and finally, we celebrated the extraordinary work of the 80% National Achievement Award honorees as they, in return, shared the practical steps that led to their success.

If you missed the show, you can still check out the recorded broadcast, watch member videos, or relive some of the special moments via our event photo gallery. #80inEveryCommunity Goes Viral

Our messages about screening reached far more than those just in attendance. While more than 150 survivors, advocates, partners, and colleagues attended the live events throughout the day, we also know there were over 700 live stream registrants, including a remarkable 88 scheduled watch parties across the country. Our afternoon live broadcast and panel show received nearly 11,000 views, and many partners tweeted pictures of their participation and recommitment to the 80% goal. Most impressively, the 80% in Every Community hashtag trended in the local Atlanta area, with 1,305 interactions between March 6 and March 7 and reaching 3.5 million social media accounts.

This was only the launch

Now the hard work begins, but we look forward to both new and strengthened partnerships and we promise to continue promoting the outstanding progress achieved by our members and pledged partners across the country.

To learn more and start your engagement with 80% in Every Community, here are three ways to get involved:

1. Visit the new 80% in Every Community webpage to learn more about the campaign, download and start using the campaign logo, and if you haven’t already, pledge your commitment to work toward 80%.
2. Connect with us on social media. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and use the hashtag #80inEveryCommunity on Twitter and Instagram.
3. Visit the NCCRT Resource Center to find the tools you need to begin making change within your community today.

Thank you all for joining us once again on this journey and for your remarkable contributions. We look forward to our continued work together as we relentlessly strive toward 80% in every community.