Public health has greatly expanded its reach. Once dealing primarily with water, sanitation and infectious diseases, public health departments now treat health issues that are deeply imbedded in our lives.  Women In Government is asking you to help educate your listeners on importance of public health by running the enclosed PSAs from one of your state’s legislators.

Public health is the practice and science of preventing disease while promoting good health at the community and population level.  Public health improves the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and scientific research related to disease and injury prevention.  Public health advocates and professionals are working across all sectors. They know that everything from road design to educational quality can affect whether we stay healthy or get sick. Generally speaking, public health works to prevent illness at the community level while health care offers treatment to individuals who are already sick. The U.S. health system is focused far more on treating illness than preventing it. Of the more than $2.5 trillion dollars spent on health in 2009, only 2 or 3 percent was spent on prevention and even less was directed to public health programs. The vast majority of our health care spending is used to treat conditions that could have been prevented in the first place.

This year, in an effort to increase education, awareness, and funding for public health throughout the United States, Women In Government, a non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators, hosted our 19^th Annual State Directors’ and Tenth Biennial First Term Legislators’ Conferences. At this conference, we asked women state legislators from across the country to record public service announcements about public health.  This PSA campaign was only one of the latest steps in Women In Government’s efforts to promote overall awareness and education on public health issues.

Please support us in our continuing efforts on public health education by airing this PSA.  To learn more, visit www.womeningovernment.org. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Marjorie Maginn
President & Executive Director
Women In Government Foundation, Inc.

In 1938, baseball legend Lou Gehrig developed symptoms of ALS and was forced to retire from the game. Seventy-five years later there is still no known cause or cure for ALS; however, progress is being made toward discovering the cause through a new national campaign, Breakthrough ALS.

For background, ALS disrupts muscle function while leaving the brain intact, ultimately causing patients to become “trapped” in their own body. Life expectancy is just four to six years.

While ALS is a terrible diagnosis, it also rallies communities to raise awareness, funds and hope to end the disease. The best way to do this is to spotlight the brave people who are fighting ALS every day through Breakthrough ALS… People like Dr. Robert H. Brown, Jr. a physician, researcher and President of the ALS Therapy Alliance who has dedicated his life to finding a cure for ALS, and Randy Pipkin who is beating the odds by living with ALS for eight years. Their brave spirits are captured in this PSA, but their fight is far from over.

Every 90 seconds, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with ALS. The people we love – our mothers, fathers, grandparents, and friends – are dying and many more are impacted every day. Many of your viewers are among the millions of Americans affected by ALS.

That’s why it’s critical to keep rallying communities to fight ALS. Please join us as we drive support to advance research for ALS and end the disease — once and for all — by airing this powerful  30-second PSA from June 2-29. This is the timeframe for our new campaign, which is being supported by an in-store fundraising drive by CVS/pharmacy stores across the country.

Additionally, we encourage you to run this PSA even after June 30 to help us raise awareness of ALS.

Best regards,

Traci Bisson, Executive Director, ALS Therapy Alliance

Wellesley, Mass. (April 21, 2013) – The U.S. Business Group of Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE:SLF, TSX:SLF) today announced it is accepting Sun Life Rising Star Award grant applications from nonprofit organizations in the Greater Atlanta area that advocate for youth from under-served communities. Applications are available now at sunliferisingstar.com. The deadline for submissions is June 7.

Sun Life will award two winning organizations with a $50,000 grant, who will each nominate an exemplary student to receive a $5,000 Sun Life Rising Star scholarship towards financing a college education. Later this year, Sun Life will surprise winning students with their scholarships at a special award presentation led by prominent members of the Atlanta community. Past presentations have included appearances by Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, and Philadelphia 76ers star Lavoy Allen, as well as support from Sun Life partners including the Boston Celtics and the Miami Dolphins.

The Sun Life Rising Star Awards program, now in its fourth year, provides financial resources to students and nonprofit organizations in large urban school districts that are committed to encouraging under-served youth to continue their education as a means to achieve life-long financial wellness. This year, the program will award grants and scholarships in seven markets including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Nashville and South Florida. Through 2013, Sun Life Financial will have committed nearly $4 million to 70 students and 63 nonprofit organizations in 14 cities across the country.

“Sun Life is committed to improving the lives of under-served youth and helping communities understand the benefits of, and connection between education and financial wellness, empowering them to protect what they love most in their lives,” said Sun Life Financial U.S. President Wes Thompson. “We’re proud to help contribute to the future of youth throughout the country through our Rising Star Awards program.”

To be considered for a Sun Life Rising Star Award grant, organizations must have 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status, promote skills that directly translate to educational success in high school to students under the age of 21 and be aligned with a secondary or post-secondary educational institution. In each city, a judging panel comprised of the foremost government officials, community, education and business leaders will evaluate the applications and student nominations.

Student nominees must be high school seniors actively involved in an organization that shares the Sun Life Rising Star Awards’ mission; they must also plan to pursue post-secondary education, exhibit leadership qualities, and demonstrate a strong commitment to their communities. Nominated students are required to submit a 750-word essay on what they love most about their lives and what they do to protect it.

Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth accumulation products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Chartered in 1865, Sun Life Financial and its partners today have operations in key markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China and Bermuda. In the United States and elsewhere, insurance products are offered by members of the Sun Life Financial group that are insurance companies. Sun Life Financial Inc., the holding company for the Sun Life Financial group of companies, is a public company. It is not an insurance company and does not offer insurance products for sale in the United States or elsewhere, and does not guarantee the obligations of its insurance company subsidiaries. In the United States, Sun Life Financial provides a range of products and services to employers and their employees, including group and voluntary life, disability, dental and stop-loss insurance products. These products are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada in all states except New York. In New York, these products are issued by Sun Life Insurance and Annuity Company of New York. Product offerings may not be available in all states and may vary depending on state laws and regulations. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com/us. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

More than 16 million Americans suffer from a chronic inflammatory facial disorder called rosacea, yet most of them don’t know it.  In fact, a Gallup survey found that 78 percent of Americans know nothing about rosacea, including how to recognize it and what to do about it.  Unfortunately, without medical help, rosacea usually becomes progressively worse and can severely disrupt people’s emotional, social and professional lives.

The impact of rosacea often goes well beyond the embarrassment of facial redness, visible blood vessels and pimples.  Also include many other signs and symptoms that could lead to disfigurement and even vision loss – and encourage people with any sign of rosacea to see a dermatologist for diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

We ask for your assistance in helping to educate your listeners about this widespread but poorly understood disorder. They are also encouraged to visit the National Rosacea Society’s website at rosacea.org for information and educational materials.

The National Rosacea Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of people with rosacea by raising awareness, providing public health information and supporting research on this chronic but treatable condition. We hope you will be able to use the enclosed spots whenever public service time is available throughout the year.

Sincerely,
Sam Huff
Executive Director
National Rosacea Society

More than twelve million Americans are currently diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD.  An additional 12 million may have the disease and not know it. COPD is the third leading cause of death. It kills more than 120,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 death every 4 minutes. Women In Government is asking you to help educate your listeners about ways to improve their quality of life by running the enclosed PSAs from one of your state’s legislators.

There is no cure for COPD which causes the airways and sac in the lungs to become swollen and thicker. Though the lung damage is irreversible; treatment can improve quality of life, prevent symptoms, reduce shortness of breath, and allow sufferers a more active life. The symptoms of COPD includes: shortness of breath; chronic cough; wheezing, and tightness of breath.  Women In Government urges people to talk with their healthcare provider if they experience any of these symptoms of COPD.

This year, in an effort to increase education, awareness, and funding for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease throughout theUnited States, Women In Government, a non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators, hosted our Third Annual Healthcare Summit in Washington, DC. At this conference, we asked women state legislators from across the country to record public service announcements about COPD.  This PSA campaign was only one of the latest steps in Women In Government’s efforts to promote overall health knowledge about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Please support us in our continuing efforts to encourage COPD awareness by airing this PSA and making your listeners aware of the importance of talking with their healthcare provider if they experience any of the symptoms of COPD.

To learn more, visit www.womeningovernment.org. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Marjorie Maginn
President & Executive Director
Women In Government Foundation, Inc.

More than forty-two million Americans are affected by overactive bladder – that’s approximately 1 in 6 Americans, yet only forty percent of individuals seek treatment. The condition causes a sudden urge to urinate. As you grow older, the chances of experiencing overactive bladder can affect your daily life, causing depression, emotional distress, or sleep disturbance. Women In Government is asking you to help educate your listeners on overactive bladder by running the enclosed PSAs from one of your state’s legislators.

Treatment options are available and the conditions are more common than you think. The symptoms of overactive bladder include: feeling a strong urge to urinate, involuntary loss of urine, urinating eight or more times in a day and awakening two or more times to urinate.  Women In Government urges people to talk with their healthcare provider if they experience any of these symptoms of overactive bladder.

This year, in an effort to increase education, awareness, and funding for overactive bladder throughout the United States, Women In Government, a non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators, hosted our Third Annual Healthcare Summit in Washington, DC.  At this conference, we asked women state legislators from across the country to record public service announcements about overactive bladder.  This PSA campaign was only one of the latest steps in Women In Government’s efforts to promote overall health knowledge about overactive bladder.

Please support us in our continuing efforts to encourage overactive bladder awareness by airing this PSA and making your listeners aware of the importance of talking with their healthcare provider if they experience any of these symptoms.

To learn more, visit www.womeningovernment.org. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Marjorie Maginn
President & Executive Director
Women In Government Foundation, Inc.

Try to imagine: inescapable, overwhelming sleepiness throughout the day. Avoiding laughter with friends for fear of fainting. Terrorizing dreams and sleep hallucinations.

Untreated, this is life for people living with narcolepsy. This lifelong sleep disorder affects hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions worldwide. It’s a serious autoimmune neurological disorder with no cure and limited treatment options. And sadly it’s greatly misunderstood and stigmatized in the general public. Many patients suffer for up to 15 years before being properly diagnosed. Even doctors are not always well versed in the symptoms of narcolepsy, and patients are commonly mislabeled as depressed, bipolar, or even schizophrenic.

Often, the condition first appears in adolescence, a formative time for everyone. Sufferers can become the brunt of nasty jokes and pranks, leading to social isolation, poor self-esteem, and depression, as the PSA illustrates. And teachers and other educators frequently mis-“diagnose” sleepy students as unmotivated, lazy, or on drugs.

The nonprofit Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN) is working day and night to improve the lives of people with narcolepsy (PWN). Through advocacy and fundraising across the U.S, and Canada, WUN’s goal is to one day see a cure for narcolepsy.

The enclosed 30-second PSA illustrates narcolepsy through the eyes of a teenager and invites viewers to learn more at www.wakeupnarcolepsy.org. It in no way solicits donations.

Many of your listeners have a loved one, neighbor, or colleague living with narcolepsy. By airing our PSA, you will be helping the public, educators and the medical community better understand and pay greater, more accurate attention to this debilitating but poorly understood sleep disorder. Greater awareness can lead to faster diagnosis and treatment, giving PWN greater hope for a more normal life and – some day – a cure.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Wake Up Narcolepsy
From shadows into the light

For decades, doctors treated lung cancer primarily based on its appearance under the microscope. This usually meant a “one-size-fits-all” approach when it came to formulating a patient’s treatment plan.

Now, doctors understand that there are different types of lung cancer, which can be driven by different genetic factors. Molecular profiling — testing a tumor for biomarkers — can help doctors tailor treatment plans for certain patients based on the genetic makeup of their tumors. It also may help determine some tumors’ potential for spreading or recurring.

Please help educate your viewers about the benefits of molecular testing in lung cancer patients, by airing the above :30 and :60 PSAs from an initiative called “Lung Cancer Profiles,” from a consortium of six 501c3 lung cancer organizations: Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, Lung Cancer Alliance, Lung Cancer Foundation of America, LUNGevity, National Lung Cancer Partnership and Uniting Against Lung Cancer, with support from Pfizer Oncology.

Molecular testing is touching the lives of many people fighting lung cancer each year.
In fact, one in fourteen Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer during their lifetime. Viewers are encouraged to visit www.lungcancerprofiles.com to learn more about molecular profiling.

This PSA has no end date for use, so please air it as soon and as often as possible.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this important public service message.

Sincerely,

Linda Wenger, Uniting Against Lung Cancer
Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
Laurie Fenton Ambrose, Lung Cancer Alliance
Regina Vidaver, National Lung Cancer Partnership
Andrea Stern Ferris, LUNGevity
Kim Norris, Lung Cancer Foundation of America

For decades, doctors treated lung cancer primarily based on its appearance under the microscope. This usually meant a “one-size-fits-all” approach when it came to formulating a patient’s treatment plan.

Now, doctors understand that there are different types of lung cancer, which can be driven by different genetic factors. Molecular profiling — testing a tumor for biomarkers — can help doctors tailor treatment plans for certain patients based on the genetic makeup of their tumors. It also may help determine some tumors’ potential for spreading or recurring.

Please help educate your listeners about the benefits of molecular testing in lung cancer patients, by airing the above :30 and :60 PSAs from an initiative called “Lung Cancer Profiles,” from a consortium of six 501c3 lung cancer organizations: Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, Lung Cancer Alliance, Lung Cancer Foundation of America, LUNGevity, National Lung Cancer Partnership and Uniting Against Lung Cancer, with support from Pfizer Oncology.

Molecular testing is touching the lives of many people fighting lung cancer each year.
In fact, one in fourteen Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer during their lifetime. Viewers are encouraged to visit www.lungcancerprofiles.com to learn more about molecular profiling.

This PSA has no end date for use, so please air it as soon and as often as possible.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this important public service message.

Sincerely,

Linda Wenger, Uniting Against Lung Cancer
Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
Laurie Fenton Ambrose, Lung Cancer Alliance
Regina Vidaver, National Lung Cancer Partnership
Andrea Stern Ferris, LUNGevity
Kim Norris, Lung Cancer Foundation of America

The lifetime risk of getting colon cancer is 1 in 20 according to the American Cancer Society. It’s the
third deadliest form of cancer, yet when caught early, colon cancer patients have a 90% chance of
survival.

That’s why on National Colon Cancer Screening Day, March 8 this year, StopColonCancerNow.com is trying to screen 2,013 first-time patients, especially men and women who are over 50 years of age, (45 for African Americans,) and those who have a family history of polyps in the colon or of colon cancer.

The 2013 theme is March Gladness to serve as a reminder that preventing colon cancer with a colonoscopy is a slam dunk. With March being both the pinnacle of the college basketball season as well as Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Stop Colon Cancer Now hopes to encourage people to rally around their health in the same way that they rally around their favorite team. By designating a national screening day and focusing on first-time patients, the goal is to raise awareness among those who may be putting off this procedure and motivate them with this “game day” mentality.

The enclosed produced :60 and :30 PSAs – in both EVERGREEN and March 8-specific versions – give your listeners some of the facts about colon cancer and why they should get screened.

The non-commercial spots are provided by StopColonCancerNow.com, a community of more than 1,000
physicians who have joined forces to promote education and awareness about colon cancer screening
and prevention.

Many of your listeners are in the high risk groups for colon cancer, or have family members, close friends or co-workers who are and whose lives might be saved if they were screened now for colon cancer.

We ask you to join us in helping prevent colon cancer by airing the enclosed PSA spots. And we ask you to help us continue to deliver good public service content by filling out and returning the enclosed postage paid reply card.

For more information on colon cancer and the importance of screening, visit www.StopColonCancerNow.com.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Amy Brunson
Director, StopColonCancerNow.com