Cancer doesn’t stop

It became clear early this spring we were witnessing something most of us had never seen in our lifetimes. As the COVID-19 pandemic sent the world into lockdown, nearly everything stopped. No more Thunder games, Cher canceled her concert, favorite restaurants were shuttered.

But cancer didn’t stop.

The American Cancer Society joined a very long list of organizations, businesses and individuals struggling for survival.

Since this all started, we have closed most of our offices nationwide and become a virtual workforce. We have seen more than 1,000 of our colleagues lose their jobs, and our annual events and fundraisers we depend on for income have been severely impacted.

Still, we are trying to hang on, as the core mission of our 107-year history has been to provide services for our friends and neighbors fighting cancer.

October is traditionally “Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” and our annual walk will continue, but this year in a virtual setting. Participants can walk in their own neighborhoods, at their own pace, and still contribute to the fight against breast cancer.

This year in Oklahoma an estimated 3,100 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed, with nearly 600 estimated deaths. The good news is our life-saving research is working. Breast cancer death rates among women declined 40 percent from 1989 to 2016, largely due to improvements in early detection and treatment.

And those lives saved are a direct result of the generous support of our donors and volunteers.

Please consider supporting the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.” It will be held statewide the weekend of Oct. 17 and 18. Register at the city nearest you: www.makingstrideswalk.org/okcok or www.makingstrideswalk. org/tulsa

We can’t let this pandemic roll back the many years of progress we have made attacking cancer.

Mark Beutler,

Director of Communications, American Cancer Society of Oklahoma

Oklahoma needs parental choice in education

A recent training program at Tulsa Public Schools advised teachers to incorporate “social justice” into all courses, including subjects such as physical education and math.

Sadly, this is nothing new in Oklahoma schools. Whether it’s providing graphic sex-education materials, promoting left-wing activism in the guise of civics education, teaching “climate change” in a politicized manner, equating racism with COVID, or advising school districts to allow boys to use the girls’ bathroom, there’s plenty of troubling activity in Oklahoma.

Enough is enough. Parents—not government officials—have the moral right to determine their child’s path. It’s time to let parents choose the best educational option for their children.

Please use this link – http://bit.ly/OCPAlink – to urge your lawmakers to enact educational choice so that parents are empowered to raise their children in accordance with their consciences.

Thank you!

Brandon Dutcher,

Senior Vice President, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs