GWCCS History |
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The Greater Washington Coalition for Cancer Survivors[hip] (GWCCS) began its history in 1986, shortly after the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) moved from Albuquerque, NM to the Washington DC area. The first president of GWCCS was ...
Washington area survivors shared their first outdoor rally on June 2, 1991, when they celebrated National Cancer Survivors Day in Columbus Circle near the United States Capitol. The theme of the rally was "Insurance Accessibility for People with Cancer Histories". This same theme was duplicated at other Survivors Day celebrations throughout the nation.
The local rally was organized by Diane Sheahan of GWCCS and featured D.C.
City Councilmember Jim Nathanson who proclaimed June 2 as "Cancer Survivors
Day in the District of Columbia". Other speakers were Dr. Fitzhugh Mullin,
NCCS; Grace Powers Monaco, Childhood Cancer Cancer Foundation; Dr. Kenneth Miller,
oncologist; Zora Brown, DC Breast Cancer Resource Committee; and E. Reba Davis,
cancer survivor.
In the Fall of 1991, Diane Sheahan was elected the president of GWCCS and instituted the organization's newsletter "Surviving Cancer in Greater Washington". The newsletter carried the date September-December, 1991.[See GWCCS Newsletter History]
The other officers of GWCCS elected that Fall were Marshall Kragan, vice
president for support; Andrea DiLorenzo, vice president for advocacy; Judy Kahn,
secretary-Treasurer; Pam Tevalo, coordinator of educational programs in Montgomery
County; and Evelyn Reichel, coordinator of educational programs in Virginia.
The GWCCS Directors included Dr. Fitzhugh Mullen, Elen Stoval and Natalie Davis
Springarn.
GWCCS held more than a dozen programs for cancer survivors in the Washington DC area during this three month period.
GWCCS also inaugurated a new publication -- the "GWCCS Local Resource Guide of
Support Groups"..
This event, hosted by GWCCS and the American Caner Society, was held at the Washington
Hospital Center's East Building Auditorium. The guest speaker was Cindy DiBiasi of
WUSA-TV.
GWCCS hosted this pot luck dinner to celebrate having 300 new members. It was held at
the Great Hall of the U.S. Department of Labor. Invited guests were the board of directors
of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS).
GWCCS held more than a half dozen programs for cancer survivors in the Washington DC
area during this three month period.
GWCCS organized this celebration which took place on the roof of the Georgetown University Leavey Center. This event was feted as the largest in the nation with 700 survivors and 37 area hospitals and 42 other health organizations sharing the experience.
Honored at this celebration with National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) Public Service Leadership awards were second lady Marilyn Tucker Quayle, NCI Director Samuel Broder, M.D., and Virginia Congressman James Moran. Diane Sheahan, the organizer of the event and President of GWCCS, received a special award, and a community service award was presented to WUSA-TV.
Presentations were given at the event by Fitzhugh Mullen, M.D., the founder and the
chairman of NCCS, and by Marc Lippman, M.D. Director of the Lombardi Cancer Center.
Cancer Survivor Evelyn Reichel prepared the first issue of the "GWCCS Cancer
Support Program Guide".[See GWCCS Support Group
Guide History].
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