In a huge boost for ECAN's effort to create a national public awareness campaign to increase understanding about the link between heartburn and cancer, Warner Brothers has approved the public screening of the movie trailer ECAN has produced in partnership with the Estate of Humphrey Bogart. 

The movie trailer premiered to rave reviews during the First Annual Humphrey Bogart Film Festival in Key Largo, Florida which runs through May 5th.  The ECAN trailer will be shown before every movie screening at the Festival. 

Stephen Bogart, son of film icons Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, came to Baltimore in October to shoot public service announcements and movie trailers that share ECAN’s life-saving message Heartburn can Cause Cancer.

ECAN's goal is to distribute these and other video, audio, print and billboard advertisements throughout the nation to encourage early detection of Esophageal Cancer.

This April, ECAN supported and/or sponsored more than 25 events around the nation designed to increase awareness about Esophageal Cancer.

ECAN's Cancer Dancer Gala, the only event of its kind in the nation focused on EC advocacy, attracted more than 300 guests, including many who hail from the West Coast, Midwest and South. in addition to ECAN's East Coast base.

The fun-filled evening honored members of the Greenebaum Family for their philanthropy in the development of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, now ranked 11th in the nation.  The Gala raised more than $100,000 to support ECAN's life-saving work.

ECAN's amazing volunteers hosted 5K events in Tennessee and California, a bike ride near St. Louis, Missouri, benefits in Virginia and Washington state, dance events in Boston and educational programs throughout the nation.  Watch this space for details of all this exciting outreach.

And many more events are planned for the coming months - stay tuned as ECAN's fantastic supporters find fun and interesting ways to blanket the nation with understanding about the link between Heartburn and Cancer!
 
More Proclamations
Since initiating the first Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month proclamations in 2009, ECAN has led the charge for designation of EC Awareness Month in states around the nation.

In 2013, ECAN volunteers achieved more success than ever - turning the map nearly 75% periwinkle!  More than 35 states declared April 2013 EC Awareness Month - and ECAN was able to recruit volunteers (states in green) to pursue this mission in all but three states.  And our volunteers were able to spread the word by reaching out to their local media for coverage of their efforts - sending our message to an even wider audience!

Take a look at the map and our volunteers who are increasing awareness around the nation!

Check out all of our great volunteers who are turning the map periwinkle with their EC Awareness Month Proclamations!

More Information Shared
ONLINE: For the first time ever, ECAN hosted a live webinar on April 24, 2013.  The seminar brought together top doctors and other specialists who support Esophageal Cancer patients to answer questions about preventing, detecting, diagnosing, treating, recovering and surviving this devastating disease.

Entitled Living without Esophageal Cancer, the one hour program answered a wide range of questions from the audience who attended the program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and those who submitted their questions from around the world via the internet.  More than 170 participants from the US, as well as the UK, Australia and India registered for the live event.

ECAN thanks Dr. Stephen Yang of Johns Hopkins for conceiving of the seminar and hosting the reception that followed.  The webcast of the seminar was made possible by the generosity and support of Covidien and Baltimore Gas and Electric. 
View the recording of this informative webcast >>>

OUTREACH MATERIALS: For the third year, ECAN offered its free Reach Out kits to supporters seeking a way to share information during EC Awareness Month. The kits contain five posters, 25 brochures and ten wristbands, all bearing ECAN's life-saving message: Heartburn can cause Cancer.

This year, about 900 kits were requested and sent to supporters in nearly every state in the Union and many other nations. ECAN is able to offer these kits for free in part because of the generous support of Covidien GI.

Reach Out kits will not be available until next year, but keep an eye out for our GERD Awareness Week materials this fall!  If you are hosting an awareness event, contact us at info@ecan.org to obtain materials.