It’s important to remember that our members of Congress and representatives are elected by us. When we are affected directly by issues, we need to reach out to our legislators to impact change. That’s what Call-on Congress (ConC) is all about: Making an impact.

Call-on Congress is Fight Colorectal Cancer’s (Fight CRC) signature advocacy event. Now in its 16th year, Call-on Congress was born out of Nancy Roach’s vision and deeply held belief that advocacy has to be at the heart of what we do at Fight CRC, and that patients need to be at the table where policy decisions are being made.

We Promise: Advocacy Isn’t Scary or Intimidating

We will help you from start to finish from learning advocacy lingo to preparing to meet your members of Congress and share your story.

It’s important for your representatives to know the issues facing their constituents. No one can tell your story better than you can.

“What happens in that hospital in their district, it changes their perspective. It makes them care about the issue because there is a human face behind it. As constituents, it is up to us to alert elected officials to issues that are affecting our communities. They can't be everywhere and know everything. Abstract problems become real when there is a person, a connection, a story, behind the statistics.”

–Erin Darbouze, MPH, health policy manager, Fight CRC 

Here’s How We Get You Ready:

• We will give you a primer on our legislative “asks” – the policies we are advocating for – and how to talk about them. You don’t have to be a policy expert, you are an expert in your story! 
• We will ask you to think about your story and give you tips for how to most effectively share your story and connect it to the policies we are advocating for.
• We will have mock meetings, so you’re comfortable before going into actual meetings and know what to expect.
• We will host an Advocacy Training Webinar on March 6 to go over all these topics and give you the chance to ask questions! (Watch your email for more information). 

As for the meetings themselves - we will take care of scheduling them. Typically, you and other advocates from your state will meet with representatives and Senators from your state. In some cases, we group by region so you will meet with members of Congress from nearby states as well. It’s a chance to build relationships and tell your story and make connections. This is a chance for you as a constituent to be heard and tell your representatives where challenges and opportunities are. When you build a connection with your representatives you are creating relentless champions of hope within Congress! 

Come, Join Us!

Please register today. When you join us for Call-on Congress, your presence makes an impact. Your story is personal and unique, and when you talk with your representatives, you create a connection. You personalize colorectal cancer and put a face to the disease and the urgency of making colorectal cancer a priority.

COVID-19 Considerations

Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) encourages all participants to practice hand hygiene, social distancing, and wear face coverings to reduce the risks of exposure to COVID-19 at all Fight CRC events. Proof of vaccination is required to attend all in-person events. Because COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is spread mainly from person-to-person contact, Fight CRC has put in place preventive measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, Fight CRC cannot guarantee that its participants, volunteers, partners, and others in attendance will not become infected with COVID-19. Please be sure to read Washington, D.C.’s In-Person and Indoor COVID-19 Guidelines.