Wine for a Cause - June 11th in Santa Fe

"Wine for a Cause," an annual food and wine culture event to benefit the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Hosted by Chef Rocky Durham and Sommelier Mark Johnson with live music by the Cuban street band Savor. Wine for a Cause begins at St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe, Saturday, June 11 at 4:00 p.m. Attendees will enjoy hors d' oeuvres and wines from Pine Ridge, Fess Parker, Chamisal and Parker Station among others. Among some of the items this event will feature are a wine walk through downtown Santa Fe with wine tastings at various locations as well as live and silent auctions featuring fine wines, travel and culinary packages. This is a volunteer driven community event. For more info or tickets, please call 505-262-6019 or visit www.acscan.org/NM .

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Hosts NM Lobby Day 2010

Nathan Bush (left), Government Relations VP for ACS CAN, was one of a number of speakers during a 2010 Lobby Day press conference in the New Mexico state capital rotunda.

Survivors, volunteers, caregivers, family and friends visited their New Mexico legislators on Thursday, January 28th urging them to pass a $1.00 cigarette tax increase and to protect master Settlement Fund Agreement funding for tobacco use and prevention control programs.

State Representative Brian Egolf and State Senator Dede Feldman both spoke of their support for a cigarette tax and their sponsoring bills regarding that tax. This tax was expected to generate over $30 million in recurring revenue earmarked for public schools, reduce the number of youth who start to smoke, and relieve the health cost burden on taxpayers for tobacco related health costs.

Opposing the bill was several tobacco lobbyists and representatives from several business groups. The House Business and Industry Committee eventually voted to table the bill effectively killing it during this short 30-day session.

Despite this bill being tabled numerous volunteers and advocates helped voice their support of ACS CAN legislative priorities and programs to help hold the line despite the budget crisis New Mexico faces.

To learn more about ACS CAN contact Traci Cadigan, New Mexico government relations director, at 505-559-9426 or Paula Wackenheim, New Mexico grassroots relationship manager, at 505-262-6014.

Please Join Us for the 2010 ACS CAN New Mexico Lobby Day on January 28!

Courtesy Paula Wackenheim,
ACS CAN New Mexico Staff *


Please Join Us for the 2010 ACS CAN New Mexico Lobby Day!

Who: Cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates

What: Advocate for Legislation that will benefit cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and their family and friends.

When: Thursday January 28, 2010 from 9:30.a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Press Conference at 1 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda

Where: Roundhouse - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Why: In a very tight fiscal year for the state of New Mexico we need advocates like you who are willing to advocate so that important programs like the New Mexico Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Programs don’t face cuts. We will also be advocating for a tobacco tax, which will help the state generate revenue and curb the rates of youth who start smoking – a Win-Win for the state of New Mexico.

Transportation: There will be two groups meeting to take the RailRunner to Santa Fe, if you would like to join them they will be meeting at the Bernallio County RailRunner Station (off of Rio Bravo in ABQ) at 7:00 am or at the Los Ranchos/Journal Center station at 7:25am. The groups will be riding the 4:10pm train back from Santa Fe and will be arriving in ABQ between 5:30-6pm depending upon which stop.

If you choose to drive parking is available at Garrett's Desert Lodge in Santa Fe for $7 for the day.

Additional Details:

Lobby Day this year will consist of legislative visits and a press conference at 1pm in the Capitol Rotunda. Those planning to attend Lobby Day will be asked to attend a pre-lobby day training phone call on either Monday January 25 or Wednesday January 27at 4 p.m.

On Lobby Day, Thursday January 28, attendees will pick up a lobby day “survival kit”, which will include a light breakfast, and make visits to their legislators’ offices. Attendees will also be asked to attend the press conference at 1 p.m.

If you are unable to attend Lobby Day, please plan on participating in our statewide call-in day, which will occur in conjunction with Lobby Day on January 28. More details to follow.

For additional information please contact Paula Wackenheim at paula.wackenheim@cancer.org

*ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.