Coaches call for more funding in fight vs. cancer

WASHINGTON -- This year's Coaches vs. Cancer appeal has a more personal meaning for Connecticut's Jim Calhoun, who has been undergoing treatment for skin cancer.

Calhoun and four of his fellow college coaches were on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, joining the American Cancer Society in a call for Congress to fund more research.

"I feel great," Calhoun said. "I feel gifted and will continue my fight."

Gary Williams of Maryland, Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, Fran Dunphy of Temple and Mark Gottfried of Alabama were on hand, along with more than 200 American Cancer Society volunteers who met with elected officials to push their cause.

"The funding freeze over the past five years has had a severe impact on cancer research and the prevention and early detection programs at the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute," said John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. "It is time for Congress to increase funding for federal cancer research and cancer control programs by at least the 6.5 percent needed to keep pace with inflation."

Seffrin also called for the Senate to follow the House's lead and pass a law giving the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the marketing and manufacture of tobacco products.

Calhoun was honored as a Coaches vs. Cancer "champion" for his dedication to the American Cancer Society earlier this year, just weeks before he received the diagnosis of skin cancer. He had surgery in May and plans to be on the sideline again when the new season begins in November.

"Why can't we help those who help themselves and those that are less fortunate?" Calhoun said. "It's our responsibility to do everything we can."