Raleigh, N.C. – July 20, 2012— Robert Schechner of Raleigh, N.C., was recently honored with the American Cancer Society’s St. George National Award for outstanding service to the community in support of the Society’s mission to combat cancer. Twenty-six recipients across the nation were selected based on ongoing leadership, time commitment and dedication to areas such as fundraising, mission delivery, patient support, legislative advocacy and event engagement.
In 2000, after experiencing his own personal battle with cancer, Schechner became involved with the American Cancer Society in his home state of New Jersey. As a grassroots volunteer, he advocated to help pass colorectal cancer screening legislation, increased funding for the Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program and the New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection Program. He also traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress to make cancer a national priority. Additional efforts in his home state included being involved with Relay For Life events and providing free rides to patients who needed transportation to their cancer treatment.
Upon relocating to North Carolina in 2007, Schechner joined the Raleigh Leadership Council working with the business community to get involved and fight cancer at the community level. He supported the legislative campaign to make North Carolina smoke free and is now serving as the Society’s state’s lead ambassador, managing 13 other North Carolina advocacy volunteers. In addition, he co-chaired the Leesville/Brier Creek/Research Triangle Park Relay For Life event, which raised $99,000 in its first year and $130,000 in its second. He also served as chair of the Cancer Prevention Study 3, helping to enroll 130 participants into this national American Cancer Society research project. He has also been involved in setting up the Duke Cancer Institute patient family resource center and assisting patients and their families in accessing cancer information and resources.
“Bob is a selfless volunteer,” said Nadine Malpass, state vice president for the American Cancer Society in North Carolina. “He understands the many facets of the organization and sees how the mission, fundraising and advocacy tie together in meeting long-term goals. He is one of our most passionate, effective and tireless volunteers.”
Also receiving the honor were: Aimee R. Belgard, Westmont, N.J.; Ivan C. Brown, Long Branch, N.J.; Tim E. Byers, Aurora, Colo.; John S. Chaperon, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Mary Joyce Dienger, Cincinnati, Ohio; Patricia Finder-Stone, De Pere, Wis.; Robert Foote, Portland, Ore.; Adnan Hammad, Dearborn, Mich.; Lynn Hancock, Houston, Texas; Nancy E. Kane, Concord, N.H.; Michael E. Kasper, Boca Raton, Fla.; Thomas J. Keating, Brunswick, Maine; Colleen Lemoine, New Orleans, La.; Betty Lesko, Moneta, Va.; Jean Lester, Wytheville, Va.; Susan Myers, West Hartford, Conn.; Laura E. Nathan, Lafayette, Calif.; Delia Oliveri, Las Vegas, Nev.; Gary Olson, Stroudsburg, Pa.; Joan Perry, Birmingham, Ala.; Cherilyn Pollard, Gainesville, Texas; Clement S. Rose, Chicago, Ill.; Charles G. Smith, Los Angeles, Calif.; David Wesley, Placerville, Calif.; and Becky Walker, Grayson, Ky.
“The St. George National Award recipients share a passion for helping to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays,” said W. Phil Evans, M.D., F.A.C.R., president of the American Cancer Society. “We are proud to honor these volunteers for their exemplary service to the Society’s mission.”
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org. For cancer news in your community, visit sacancernews.org.
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