MENDOTA – Each year in September, Mendota’s Jesse Arellano, as the lead volunteer for the 16^th Congressional District in Illinois for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, joins over 600 other lead volunteers that represent every congressional district in the United States in Washington, D.C. During this trip, they meet with every single member of Congress to advocate for things like cancer funding research and to make cancer a top national priority. This would be Arellano’s seventh year traveling to D.C. to represent the state of Illinois.

During the trip, there is a ceremony called the Lights of Hope, which is very similar to a Relay For Life where they have luminaria bags, but this ceremony has over 40,000 bags that surround the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. Law makers all get a personal invitation to come and see the number of bags, which each represent a loved one that has either survived or lost their battle. The first year Arellano went to DC there were about 6,000 bags. Last year, there were over 40,000.

Imagine the impact on our lawmakers when they see thousands of bags from every congressional district in the country, Puerto Rico and Guam. Last year, there were also volunteers from the Cancer Societies in Ireland, Australia, Guam, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and The United Kingdom, which truly reiterates the idea that cancer doesn’t discriminate or care who you are, where you come from, or how much money you have. Cancer is nonpartisan and all over the world it is a problem. By partnering with other countries on these life-saving missions, representatives are truly making an impact on the cancer burden we all face in our lives.

This year, however, due to COVID-19, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network has taken a different approach for the safety of its volunteers and staff around the world. The trip will be in a virtual setting including leadership training meetings, but also meetings with elected officials will all be done via Zoom meetings. While this will not be an in-person event, there will still be a Light of Hope Ceremony that will be livestreamed on the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Facebook page on Sept. 12 so that everyone can tune in to watch this extremely moving ceremony. Arellano said he has a personal fundraising goal of $500 each year and hopes he can achieve the goal again for the seventh year in a row.

For anyone interested in purchasing a Light of Hope for $10, log on to https://secure.fightcancer.org/site/TR/Events/GeneralACSCAN?px=3633989&pg=personal&fr_id=1260