Participating Lighthouses

1.  Metropolis Lighthouse "Hope Light", Worlds first lighthouse built to fight cancer.
Location: Metropolis, Illinois USA
Height: 30 feet
Year Lit: 2014
Website: www.hopelightproject.com

Participating Lighthouse Organizations

1.  Metropolis Hope Light Project
Organization type: Nonprofit
Lighthouse/Region: Metropolis Lighthouse
Location/Area: Metropolis, Illinois USA
Website: www.hopelightproject.com

About Worldwide Cancer
Per the World Health Organization (WHO)

     Cancers are among the leading causes of worldwide deaths.  This year, 8.2 million people will die from cancer throughout the world with 14 million new cases being diagnosed.  In the United States alone, over 580,000 people will die from this deadly disease with 1.5 million new cases being diagnosed.  Within the next two decades, worldwide new cancer cases are expected to increase to 22 million and if left unchecked, cancer deaths will rise to more than 13 million.
     Cancer mortality can be reduced if cases are detected and treated early. There are 2 components of early detection efforts:
     Early Diagnosis:  The awareness of early signs and symptoms (for cancer types such as skin, cervical, breast, colorectal and oral) in order to get them diagnosed and treated at early stage. Early diagnosis is particularly relevant when there is no effective screening methods or – as in many low-resource settings– no screening and treatment interventions implemented. In absence of any early detection or screening and treatment intervention, patients are diagnosed at very late stages when curative treatment is no longer an option. 
     Screening:  Screening aims to identify individuals with abnormalities suggestive of a specific cancer or pre-cancer and refer them promptly for treatment or when feasible for diagnosis and treatment. Screening programmes are especially effective for frequent cancer types for which cost-effective, affordable, acceptable and accessible screening tests are available to the majority of the population at risk.
     Examples of screening methods are:

  • visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical cancer;
  • HPV testing for cervical cancer;
  • PAP cytology test for cervical cancer;
  • mammography screening for breast cancer.

About World "Beacons of Hope"

     World "Beacons of Hope" are publically accessible land-based lighthouses and lighthouse organizations (associations, societies, groups) throughout the world that have agreed to be adopted into the "Beacons of Hope" family for the purpose of fighting cancer by:
*  Navigating people to life-saving cancer awareness information,
*  Promoting early cancer detection and
*  Becoming "Beacons of Hope" for cancer patient survivorship and cures for all cancers.
     Participating lighthouses are encouraged to work with local and national cancer organizations to display cancer literature and host cancer related events.  Lighthouse organizations are encouraged to help communicate cancer awareness on their websites and in other social media.  
     To become a "Beacon of Hope" lighthouse or a lighthouse organization, please download the following Pledge Form, have signed by an authorized representative of a lighthouse or a lighthouse organization and eMail to Rudy Bess at coastallt@sbcglobal.net.    
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     Upon receipt of the signed Pledge Form, the lighthouse or lighthouse organization representative will receive a Certificate of Adoption signed by The Hope Light Foundation Founders, Rudy & Beverly Bess, have their lighthouse or organization identified on the Foundation's website and can display the "World Beacons of Hope" logo on their websites and other social media, in lighthouse museums/gift shops and on print material. 
     Suggested ways you can help in communicating cancer awareness are; 
For lighthouses -
*  Add our Be Cancer SMART! logo on your website linked to the hyperlinked resource PDF doc.
*  Add our "Beacons of Hope" logo to your website and hyperlink to this website or another cancer organization website as you feel appropriate. 
*  Display a general cancer information wall chart in a lighthouse museum/gift shop.
*  Have an acrylic brochure holder with cancer awareness pamphlets on a counter for visitors to access.  
*  Work with local cancer organizations to communicate cancer awareness and host cancer events.
For lighthouse organizations- 
*  Add our Be Cancer SMART! logo on your website linked to the hyperlinked resource PDF doc. 
*  Add our "Beacons of Hope" logo to your website and hyperlink to this website or another cancer organization website as you feel appropriate. 
*  Encourage individual members, member organizations and lighthouses to help communicate cancer awareness information on their websites and at their location and in their communities. 
     You are welcome to communicate cancer awareness through other means as you feel appropriate.  
     Benefits of being a participating  lighthouse/organization includes:
*  Having worldwide recognition and appreciation for being a guiding light to life-saving cancer awareness information,
*  Having your lighthouse location, website and photograph appearing on The Hope Light Foundation's website,
*  Adding being a "Beacon of Hope" to the historical significance of your lighthouse history,
*  Increasing number of lighthouse visitors that are attracted to the light due to it being cancer related in addition to its historic significance, and
*   Having the satisfaction of participating in a project dedicated to reducing cancer deaths throughout the world and in the lighthouses regions and local communities.

     Why lighthouses?  For more than 2,000 years, lighthouses have been known and respected for their help in navigating ships through dark turbulent waters with hope for survival and arriving in a safe harbor.  This is similar to a cancer patients dark journey into the unknown looking for help in navigating to a safe harbor and having hope for survival after being diagnosed with cancer.  Now lighthouses can be used as guiding beacons to help navigate cancer patients to life-saving cancer information that can lead to early detection and provide hope for survival and hope for a cure for this deadly disease.