Join the American Cancer Society in remembering the lives of those lost to cancer and celebrating the lives of cancer survivors.

We Are No Longer Accepting Tickets for the Raffle but are still Accepting Donations.

The candle represents the lives of those lost to cancer and celebrating the lives of cancer survivors. With the purchase of a CFCU Candle of Hope, you will directly support the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society saves lives by funding groundbreaking cancer research, supporting education and prevention efforts, providing free information and critical services for people with cancer who need them, and fighting back through public policy efforts.

Last year, over 250 Candle of Hope donors generously gave more than $22,000 in support of the event, which in total raised over $74,000 for local impact on cancer support and research.

Candles of Hope

When you purchase a CFCU Candle of Hope ($50), you will be entered into a drawing for prizes with amazing values listed below.

All Prizes Won!

Weekend in Washington

Enjoy a 2-night weekend stay at the historic and elegant Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. Your stay also includes a buffet breakfast.

Won by Guy Van Benshoten

Leave Your Heart in San Fransisco

Enjoy 2 -nights in beautiful San Francisco, CA! Parking, wine, & 2 tickets to a San Fransisco Giants baseball game are included.

Won by Stephen Savage

Escape to Skaneateles

Enjoy a relaxing weekend at award-winning Mirbeau Inn and Spa in Skaneateles, NY. You can use the gift certificates toward room accommodations, dining room, wine bar, or spa treatments during your stay.

Won by Graham Gillespie

Grand Cayman Islands

Enjoy a 3 night stay at a resort in Grand Cayman Islands.

Won by Ann Bantuvanis

Fore Golf Outing

Win a chance for your foursome to play in the Ben Mintz/CFA Golf Outing on July 28-29 with golf passes & lessons, as well as invitations to the Friday night cocktail party at the Ithaca Yacht Club and lunch and dinner at the Country Club of Ithaca.

Won by Howard Kaye

Cornell Hockey VIP

Experience dinner for 4 at Taverna Banfi's, in addition to 4 VIP tickets to a Cornell Hockey game, and an autographed jersey. Go Big Red!

Won by Collette Zollars

Feeling Fine in 2017

Win a 1 year membership to Island Health and Fitness as well as a special gift package from Rasa Spa.

Won by Lisa Whittaker

Springtime in NYC

Experience an overnight stay for 2 at a premier hotel, 2 tickets to a NY Mets baseball game, dinner for 2 and round-trip transportation for 2 on Cornell's Campus-to-Campus express service coach are included in this special getaway.

Won by Sandra Dimitri

Winter in NYC

Experience an overnight stay for 2 at a premier hotel, 2 tickets to a NY Hockey game, dinner for 2 and round-trip transportation for 2 on Cornell's Campus-to-Campus express service coach are included.

Won by James Matera

Saratoga Red White & Blue

Win 2 tickets to the American Cancer Society's Red White & Blue Party in Saratoga Springs, NY on June 23 with hotel stay included.

Won by John O’Leary 

Marriott Vacation Villa

Enjoy a 3 night stay at a Marriott Vacation Club resort anywhere in U.S.

Won by Maureen Ronsvalle

We also want to thank our very generous sponsor, CFCU for making this event possible! 

Read About the ACS Local Impact

The American Cancer Society is the largest cancer fighting organization in the world and, through our research program, have been involved in every major cancer breakthrough. This national perspective is also evident at the local level of actively fighting cancer in the Ithaca region. During 2015 and 2016, there were more than 1500 people from the Ithaca region seeking services from the American Cancer Society, including over 865 newly diagnosed patients. Our work to control cancer falls into four main categories, research patient services, advocacy, and education. All are active in the Ithaca region.

 

Research

Since 1946, Cornell University has received over $23 Million from the American Cancer Society in research grant funding. (Total includes Ithaca campus $11.4, medical college $11.9, and the Veterinary College $180,000. Almost $6 million since the year 2000)

·        Currently, Cornell University’s Dr Jeffrey Pleiss has a $717,000 grant from the American Cancer Society (from 7/1/13 – 6/30/2017) to study Pre-mRNA splicing regulation and chronological lifespan in yeast.

·        Under the guidance of Cornell University’s Dr. Robert Weiss, four Cornell University graduate students will be selected to participate in a Scientific Poster Competition, at the gala. Each student will be interacting with the gala guests, explaining to them their work and how it may influence cancer research. A judging panel of Cornell’s professors/researchers will select one student to be awarded the Cornell Research Award and $500 prize as the highlight of the evening’s event. This is a great way for Cornell University to showcase its research impact and engage with the community.

Patient Services

Our 1-800 number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and our website, www.cancer.org, are two services that are available to patients and their caregivers right from the comfort of their own home.   They provide free information on all types of cancer, treatments, drugs, therapies, clinical trials, where to get second opinions, and any type of support and assistance a cancer patient, or caregiver may need. 

Hope Lodges are comfortable “homes away from home” where cancer patients and their caregivers can stay without cost while they are being treated. Hope Lodges provide patients and their caregivers an environment of support with a homelike experience in a time of turbulence. In New York State, there are Hope Lodges in Manhattan and Rochester. We also provide hotel lodging in many cities where Hope Lodges are either not available, or are full. During 2015, over 100 patient and caregivers from the Ithaca region spent over 1000 nights at one of our Hope Lodges, saving them thousands of dollars.

Look Good Feel Better is a program that teaches beauty techniques to women in active treatment to help them combat the appearance related side effects of cancer treatment. With the help of a trained beauty professional and the use of a free make-up kit, women learn how to cope with skin changes and hair loss so that they can feel more confident during their cancer journey. In the Ithaca area, LGFB is available at Cayuga Med. Convenient Care Center. During 2015 and 2016, they arranged to help 119 women with wigs and make-up. 

Rode to Recovery provides free rides to cancer patient to and from treatments.  During 2015 and 2016, there were 199 rides provided to local cancer patients

The cancer burden of the community is estimated from 2011 data that in the 3 county area, there were approximately 800 newly diagnosed cancer patients.  24% received services from the American Cancer Society.

Relay for life is the biggest survivorship event in the country- while Relay is also a fundraiser, it is an event that recognizes survivors, and honors those that have lost the fight against this terrible disease. 

o   In 2015, Relay For Life at Cornell University engaged nearly 1900 Cornell University students. More can be found here; www.relayforlife.org/cornelluniversity

o   The Tompkins County Relay For Life had approximately 300 participants involved in 2015. More can be found about it here; www.relayforlife.org/tompkinscountyny

Advocacy

On the national level, just last November, the American Cancer Society was instrumental in increasing cancer research funding for the first time in the last 10 years. We can all agree that this will have an impact on everyone no matter where we live. On the state level, our advocacy agenda supports:

o   all of the Cancer Service Programs that are within each county, including Tompkins, Schuyler and Cortland County. This program has a direct impact on providing cancer screening service to uninsured and or underinsured individuals in your community for breast, cervical and colon cancer. Our legislative request is to maintain this funding at $25.3 million dollars. 

o   increasing the tobacco control program funding to $52 million, which will help those addicted to tobacco, and to provide programs to keep kids from beginning this deadly addiction.

o   Raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21 years of age. The American Cancer Society provided key testimony for passage of “T21” in Cortland County during 2016, making it the sixth municipality in New York State to adopt this important legislation.

Education

The American Cancer Society is also active with Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca. As a community partner, the ACS directly assisted Cayuga Med to achieve and maintain its Commission on Cancer accreditation resulting in a higher standard of care for the region’s cancer patients.  You can learn more about that accreditation and the ACS’s participation here: https://www.cayugamed.org/content.cfm?page=archive&newsID=83

Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiative – The American Cancer Society is partnering with Kinney Drug Stores and Quest Diagnostics to offer free FIT kits to eligible individuals 50 + years of age for colorectal screening.  2015 was the 3^rd year that this program will be offered to local residents.  In addition, we are in partnership with the CDC and over 500 organizations nationwide by promoting 80% by 2018, which seeks to increase colorectal cancer screening rates to 80% by the year 2018.

We have initiatives in all communities to increase HPV vaccination rates, to reduce cervical cancer rates, and to increase breast cancer screening rates for early detection