Hundreds of glowing luminarias will light up the Jimmy Stewart Rose Garden at Providence Saint John's Health Center on Sunday as part of a community event honoring lives touched by cancer.
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network will host the free public display from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 2121 Santa Monica Blvd. Each Light of Hope luminaria represents a life affected by the disease, celebrating survivors, honoring patients and caregivers, and remembering those who have died.
The event comes as Congress prepares its annual budget amid the president's proposed cuts to the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health. The proposed reductions would affect cancer research initiatives and related programs that have contributed to advances in prevention, early detection and treatment options in California and nationwide.
Event organizer Laura LaRose, a nurse practitioner and ACS CAN volunteer who lost her father and multiple family members to cancer, will be available for interviews during the display.
Guests can donate and dedicate their own Light of Hope bags on site. The event highlights the need for continued investment in cancer research and aims to give advocates a voice for those impacted by cancer, including nearly 200,000 Californians expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year.
The Lights of Hope event serves as ACS CAN's signature fundraising effort and underscores the role elected officials play in the fight against cancer.
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network advocates for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden. Since 2001, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate has successfully pushed for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality healthcare, and advanced tobacco control measures.
More information is available at www.fightcancer.org.
Edited by SMDP Staff