STATEHOUSE – House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis), legislators and staff wore sneakers at the Statehouse today in support of the “Suits and Sneakers” challenge to raise awareness of the fight against cancer.
“It was a great honor to participate in ‘Suits and Sneakers’ and I was proud to shed my tie for the cause, “said Rep. Aylesworth. “Last year, I lost my brother-in-law to cancer and it is important that we show our support for the ACS and help to raise awareness for such a great cause.”
State Representative David Wolkins (R-Winona Lake), who is currently fighting cancer, has been allowed to remove his tie during session in order to be more comfortable, which male legislators are normally required to wear. In order to show support for their fellow legislator, the Speaker encouraged staff and legislators to remove their ties, while female legislators were encouraged to creatively incorporate a tie into their wardrobes. Legislators and staff also donated to the ACS.
“My fellow legislators and staff were quite inspiring this morning,” said Rep. Fine. “I was honored to devote our day to fighting against cancer, one tie at a time.”
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), in 2012, 35,000 Hoosiers heard the words “you have cancer,” and of those, 13,000 lost their lives to the disease. The Suits and Sneakers challenge is an annual event sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to help raise cancer awareness and support those affected by it.
“Days like these are always very memorable,” said Rep. Slager. “I had a great time advocating to raise cancer research funds and I thank ACS for bringing us together to fight against cancer, many Hoosiers are affected by this disease and so I was happy to support our ‘Suits and Sneakers’ event.”
As a part of the Suits and Sneakers Day, Coach Greg Lansing of the Indiana State University men’s basketball team represented all Indiana college basketball coaches during his visit to the Statehouse. He encouraged House members and staff to continue to raise awareness on ways to reduce the risk of cancer and follow the ACS’s recommended cancer screening guidelines.
Visit www.cancer.org for more information on how you can help spread the message and fight back against cancer.
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