Families of children with cancer are visiting Capitol Hill to seek more federal funding for cancer research

CureSearch for Children's CancerJun 21 2010

For 10th Year, CureSearch's 'Reach the Day' Event Brings Hundreds to Washington

Today and tomorrow hundreds of families of children with cancer are visiting Capitol Hill to ask Congress one question:  Where is the research money that was authorized by the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008?

For the last 10 years, the CureSearch for Children's Cancer community has come to Washington seeking more federal funding for children's cancer research to 'Reach the Day' when every child with cancer is guaranteed a cure.  Two years ago, they celebrated as Congress passed a bill that held the promise of an additional $30 million per year.  

"When Congress passed The Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act in 2008, not one member voted against the bill," said Former Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH), mother of Caroline Pryce Walker for whom the Act was named, who died at age nine of neuroblastoma.  "We applauded the bi-partisan efforts of our leaders, but now we are back to push for full appropriation of this bill."

"Congress has not yet fulfilled the promise it made to these children and their families," said John L. Lehr, President and CEO of CureSearch for Children's Cancer, the foundation that funds and supports the lifesaving, collaborative research of the Children's Oncology Group at more than 230 hospitals nationwide.  "The time has come for Congress to appropriate the children's cancer research dollars."