Dear ,

In the weeks leading up to Advocacy Day each year, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network conducts an advertising campaign targeting federal elected officials and their staff members to increase their awareness of our cause.

Over the past two years, we have adopted a decidedly more provocative approach to these campaigns. Pancreatic cancer is the only cancer tracked by both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute with a relative five-year survival rate in the single digits. Further, four decades of woefully underfunded research has resulted in little progress being made in the disease. I support this more direct approach. A more understated message may be interpreted by some elected officials as acceptance of the status quo.

This year, we are making an even bolder statement than ever before. We hope this year's approach does not offend you or anyone in our support and scientific communities. We share the ad with you now so you will better understand why we feel that a strong and aggressive strategy is necessary. After years and years of waiting, we believe we must make a very strong statement to our elected officials so that we are heard above the many other messages they hear each day. Click here to view the ad.

Again demonstrating the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's inclusive approach with supporters, we felt it was also important to show an advance copy of the ad to registered Advocacy Day attendees and explain the rationale behind it. The campaign will launch on June 6 and run through June 24. We are also sending a statement, similar to what you are reading, to our core volunteer base along with a copy of the ad; these are volunteers who hold key roles within each of our 65 affiliates nationwide.

As we developed this ad, we also solicited feedback from a representative group of survivors and volunteers. This leadership group agreed that the ad is shocking, provocative, compelling – and necessary to make a real impact, grab the attention of our legislators, and finally get them to begin to champion real progress.

This ad will appear in the political publications listed in the post script of this letter, as well as others in the Washington, D.C. area. The ad will not appear in mainstream publications such as People magazine. We will ask all Advocacy Day participants to take copies of this ad to their meetings with Members of Congress on June 14.

Nearly six and a half years have passed since I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I know how lucky I am to still be alive and also disheartened that so many others have not been so fortunate. As a survivor, an advocate and a member of the National Board of Directors of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, I support this ad campaign 100 percent. I am energized, I am registered for Advocacy Day and I am ready to head to Capitol Hill with reprints of this ad in hand as I speak to elected officials about the need for real progress in pancreatic cancer.

Forty years of neglect is enough. I hope you feel energized as well and agree that we need to stir things up in Washington, D.C., and that this ad is another necessary step in doing just that!

Sincerely,

Stuart Rickerson
Survivor and Advocate

P.S. This new ad will appear in the following publications and on the following websites: washingtonpost.com: Washington Post Express, CQ Com, CQ Healthbeat, Politico.com, National Journal and via Hill Drops.