ACS Names Marti Coley Legislator of the Year in Florida House

Today in Orlando, about a thousand volunteers for Relay For Life will welcome and recognize Rep. Marti Coley as the American Cancer Society, Florida Division's 2010 Legislator of the Year in the Florida House of Representatives.

Coley, the Marianna representative, will be honored for her cancer research efforts by the American Cancer Society, who "recognized her successful efforts to promote state-funded, peer-reviewed and competitive cancer research," according to their release.

The organization chose Coley for her push to "reauthorize and substantially fund the state's two biomedial research programs, which were scheduled to expire in law."

Coley got the Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program and the King Biomedical Research Program to become ongoing programs and secured a combined $42.2 million for both the programs for this year.

An additional $30 million was appropriated for various needs to three Florida-based institutes (the Moffitt Cancer Center, UF Shands Cancer Center, and the University of Miami's Sylvester Cancer Center).

Coley had this to say in response to the award: "Each year, families across our state --and indeed, across the world --face the devastation of this dreaded disease. After losing my husband to cancer in 2005, I vowed to help move Florida forward in cancer research so our families would not have to travel to other states or countries for the best treatment. I am pleased that through the Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program only the most promising cancer research is funded, and I look forward to a day when we find a cure for this horrible disease. I am deeply grateful and humbled by this award and commit to continue the war against cancer."

Florida has "one of the highest relative cancer burdens in the country," says the release, and "is expected to incur some 107,000 new cases in 2010, with more than 40,000 anticipated deaths from the disease."

For more information about the American Cancer Society's advocacy initiatives, visit www.acscan.org/florida. For information about cancer in general, visit cancer.org.