The New Year is here. This year if everyone makes a resolution to do one advocacy activity each month then the prostate cancer community will be a force to reckon with in 2008.

For January you can learn about the proposed Manton Legislation. You can write to your legislators and ask them to join the effort by cosigning the bill. If they are already cosigners, you can thank then for their support.

For a summary of these bills including the current lists of co-sponsors, click either entry below.

HR 2131 S 1275

When wording your letter you can use facts from this journal article, Association of Insurance with Cancer Care Utilization and Outcomes. Click here to read the article. This earlier blog entry will also help you word a communication. Click here.

February you can talk to your local support group about the proposed Manton legislation and ask them to write also. You may even be able to have a laptop there connected to the internet so that people can write at the meeting. If you have email list for your support group, you can send them all an email with all the appropriate links. If you are making a presentation about the Manton bill you can click here for a powerpoint presentation.

In March you can give an awareness presentation to a group in your community, service group, church group, employee group, etc. Many state groups can help you with this. Often they have prepared presentations to make it easier for you. Click here for a list of existing state groups.

In April you can organize a fundraiser for a prostate cancer charity.

Some ideas:

Click here. or Click here. You may have ideas of your own. Stan Klein has an annual walk in Boston every year. You can learn more by clicking here. You can volunteer to help out with your local PACE Race. Click here to learn more.

Some of you may have great ideas to share for the remaining months. Please let me know your ideas in the comments section of this blog.