Colorectal cancer is projected to be the leading cause of cancer deaths among those ages 20-49 in the next seven years if something doesn’t change. 

On the heels of the White House declaring March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, urging the public to get screened, national advocacy organization Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) is bringing awareness to D.C. and beyond through the second United in Blue installation.

The installation, consisting of more than 27,000 blue flags representing the color of colorectal cancer (CRC), will bring attention to the cause at the base of the Washington Monument from March 12-23, 2023. It's a breathtaking, somber visual of the reality that in 2030 27,400 people under age 50 are projected to be diagnosed with the disease. It's a heartbreaking projection since the disease can be prevented if caught early.

As part of the March awareness efforts, Fight CRC is uniting partners from across the community and beyond. A rally will be held at the United in Blue installation on March 13 from 11am-12:30pm ET. The rally is supported by partners across the colorectal cancer community working collaboratively to fight this disease:

• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network  
• American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable
• American College of Gastroenterology
• American Gastroenterological Association 
• American Indian Cancer Foundation
• American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
• AMSURG
• Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists 
• California Colorectal Cancer Coalition 
• Cancer Support Community
• CDC Foundation
• Colon Cancer Coalition
• Colon Cancer Stars 
• Colorado Cancer Coalition
• Colorectal Cancer Alliance
• eviCore
• FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
• Geneoscopy
• GI Cancers Alliance
• Hitting Cancer Below the Belt
• Hollingsworth Colorectal Cancer Awareness Fund
• Man Up to Cancer
• National Alliance for Hispanic Health
• National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) 
• National LGBT Cancer Network
• National Minority Quality Forum
• Nebraska Cancer Coalition
• ONE CANCER PLACE
• PALTOWN Development Foundation
• Prevent Cancer Foundation
• The Blue Hat Foundation
• The Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer
• The Colon Club
• The Raymond Foundation 
• United Ostomy Associations of America

There has been a lack of progress in developing effective therapeutics for colorectal cancer; rising rates of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 50; and persistent health disparities in colorectal cancer prevalence, screening, and outcomes. United in Blue is a visual indication for policymakers to show the number of people under 50 projected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2030, which highlights the need to increase colorectal cancer research funding and develop a plan to address the community's needs. 

“We relentlessly raise awareness each March, but this year there is a renewed sense of urgency. Lives are at stake, and we can do more to prevent these statistics from becoming a reality,” said Fight CRC President Anjee Davis. “Young lives are counting on us to act now and fight for more.”

Many of Fight CRC’s events in Washington, D.C., for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month 2023 and the United in Blue installation are sponsored by: Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Exact Sciences, Exelixis, Fujifilm, Foundation Medicine, Genentech, Guardant Health, Intuitive, Merck, Miralax®, Natera, No-Shave November, Pfizer, Ruesch Center for the Cure of GI Cancers, and Taiho Oncology.