Photo credit: Catherine Trifiletti
Define ZERO anyway you like: Zip, O, Nada, 6-6=O, Nil. You can even go to Lisbon, for that matter, and order up a ZERO Coke. On Wednesday night in Washington, DC, however, ZERO meant “End of Prostate Cancer” hosted by Cornerstone Government Affairs that featured a BBQ cook-off fundraiser in their offices; not just any offices, but one with a sidewalk patio where three teams of ‘chefs’ engaged in a cook-off attracting over 200 guests, not including the uninvited off the street guests. “We are excited to partner with ZERO in support of their life-saving work – tonight’s fundraiser is simply an extension of that partnership,” said Susan Sweat of Cornerstone Government Affairs. “So joining with them to put on this event to raise dollars and awareness for such a good cause has been enthusiastically embraced by the whole firm.”
“When ZERO approached us about putting together an event in DC,” she added, “our location quickly became the obvious venue. It’s great to be able to host Members for their campaign events, which we regularly do, but raising money for something as life-impacting as ending prostate cancer – and rallying with other supporters – was a unique opportunity and something we all wanted to be a part of.”
The occasion honored Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., for continually going to bat for the federally funded Prostate Cancer Research Program during appropriations season. ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer – is a national non-profit with the mission of ending prostrate cancer through education, advocacy and awareness. The BBQ paired Members of Congress who have worked to end prostate cancer with competitive barbecue teams for a three-way cook-off. Representative Sanford Bishop joined Team Cornerstone, Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) led Team Varian Medical Systems and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) served as the point man for Team Johnson & Johnson. Military personnel battling prostate cancer ruled that Senator Tester’s team won the competition.
Pork is Good Stuff catering provided the BBQ, while the National Beer Wholesalers Association donated the refreshments. Those in attendance included: ZERO CEO Jamie Bearse, Mark Reese from Johnson & Johnson, Mo Tracy and Peter Wallace from Varian, John Crumbliss, Louie Perry and Amy Souders from Cornerstone Government Affairs, multiple House and Senate appropriations committee staff, a strong contingent of Army officers from the Army’s congressional budget liaison office and many more.
“This BBQ Cook-Off is a great opportunity for ZERO to engage the Capitol Hill community in our work,” said Zero’s CEO Jamie Bearse. “Together, we can make prostate cancer a national priority and engage others in the fight to end it. There are nearly 2.8 million American men living with prostate cancer, and every 19 minutes another American man dies from the disease. That’s a little more than 75 deaths per day and 27,540 this year, enough to fill a baseball stadium. It shows them the tangible proof that this research helps to save the lives of the men diagnosed with prostate cancer, and to stop the pain and suffering of them and their families.”
The teams were smoking pork shoulders all day (just when we thought they were legislating) and a panel of service members affected by prostate cancer judged their work. So next time you blame Congress for doing zip, ZERO, nada, nil – hand them a coke and consider it a good thing!
