Local Mother and Son Will Lobby in Support of Cancer Research Funding in Washington, D.C.

The American Cancer Society named Ramona residents Melissa and Lawren Richardson to represent California at Celebration on the Hill 2006, a nationwide advocacy event to be held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 19-20.

The Richardsons will join 10,000 other ambassadors, cancer survivors and volunteers from every congressional district to encourage members of Congress to restore and increase federal funding for lifesaving cancer research and programs.

Melissa and her son Lawren, 15, were selected because of their personal connection with cancer. Melissa was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2002.

She has gone through numerous surgeries, eight chemotherapy treatments and six weeks of radiation therapy. Throughout her treatments, Lawren and his brothers were by her side. The Richardsons since have helped raise thousands of dollars to help in the battle against cancer.

In 2006, about 1.4 million Americans - including 136,875 Californians - will be diagnosed with cancer. Of the estimated 564,830 cancer deaths in 2006 in the United States, almost 10 percent will occur in California. Surveys show that cancer is the number one health concern of Americans.

During Celebration on the Hill, ambassadors will meet lawmakers to encourage increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In addition, ambassadors will ask Congress to reauthorize and expand the CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to make it easier for states to reach eligible women.

Participants also will converge upon the National Mall around a temporary Relay for Life Wall of Hope memorial constructed of 5,000 banners from each Relay For Life community in the United States. They will have a chance to meet other ambassadors and to share their stories about how their lives have been touched by cancer.

Celebration on the Hill is a project of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

For more information, visit www.CelebrationOnTheHill.org.