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About Us
The Colon Club was founded in 2003 by Molly McMaster, a colon cancer survivor who was diagnosed on her 23rd birthday, and Hannah Vogler, whose cousin and Molly's friend, Amanda Sherwood Roberts, died of the disease at the age of 27. Our main goal is to educate as many people as possible, as early as possible, about colorectal cancer in interesting and out-of-the-box ways. Our wishes are for people to have "colon talk" in their everyday lives, to know the risk factors and symptoms, and to get screened when it is appropriate for them. The Colon Club is a New York State nonprofit organization with federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Our tax ID number is 06-1690953.
To donate to The Colon Club, please click here or send checks payable to The Colon Club, 17 Peach Tree Lane, Wilton, NY 12831.
How We Got Started
After being diagnosed with colon cancer on her 23rd birthday, Molly McMaster wanted to tell the world that anyone could get the disease. Her first crazy project, Rolling to Recovery, was a 2000-mile journey on inline skates from New York to Colorado, during which she got an e-mail from a young woman in Little Rock, AR named Amanda Sherwood Roberts. Amanda had been diagnosed with the disease at 24 and the two young women became immediate friends. Eventually, Amanda nominated Molly to carry the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Torch and after Molly was chosen the two women finally got the chance to meet in person and tell their story to Katie Couric on the “Today” show. After the show, Katie told Molly, “If you come up with anything crazy for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, let us know. We’ll have you back on the show!” The wheels began to turn in Molly’s head.
On December 30th of 2002, Molly carried the Olympic Torch through Saratoga Springs, NY. Amanda died just two days later at her home in Little Rock at the age of 27. Along with Amanda’s cousin, Hannah Vogler, Molly decided that she needed to do something in honor of her friend. Together the two girls built the Colossal Colon®, a 40-foot long, 4-foot tall, crawl-through model of the human colon complete with polyps, various diseases of the colon and stages of colorectal cancer. Molly McMaster is now the President and Co-Founder of The Colon Club and Hannah Vogler is the Secretary/Treasurer and Co-Founder. Together they will continue their mission to do “crazy things” to teach the world that anyone can get colorectal cancer.
Who We Are
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Molly McMaster is President and Co-Founder of The Colon Club. She was diagnosed with stage II colon cancer on February 19, 1999 - her 23rd birthday. A former radio personality, Molly now dedicates her time to educating people, especially younger people, about colorectal cancer. She has inline skated across the country, carried the Olympic Torch, and told her story through hundreds of television shows, print articles, and speeches. Molly is the creator of the nationally-known Colossal Colon©, a 40-foot long, four-foot tall model of the human colon that has been traveling around the country since 2002 to educate people of all ages about colorectal cancer. Molly is also the recipient of numerous national awards for her extensive work in colorectal cancer education, including the Adirondack Athlete of the Year, the 2002 Rotary Citizen of the Year, the 2003 Colon Cancer Alliance “Voices” Award, the 2003 Colorectal Cancer Network “90 in 9” Advocacy Award, and the 2003 Sloan Kettering Tavel Resnik Award for excellence in cancer education. Molly speaks regularly on the subject of colorectal cancer and remains an advocate because she connects to so many different people. She hopes to continue to use that connection to teach people about this highly preventable disease. Molly lives in upstate New York and plays ice hockey in her spare time. She is currently writing a book about her experience with cancer.
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Hannah Vogler is Co-Founder and Secretary/Treasurer of The Colon Club. She became involved in colorectal cancer education when her younger cousin, Amanda Sherwood Roberts, was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer at the age of 24. Amanda died when she was just 27 years old, and Hannah has continued on her behalf. With a background in politics and investment banking, Hannah brings a great deal of experience to The Colon Club in the areas of fundraising, press and media relations, and negotiation skills. She was a White House Intern and worked for the political consulting firm of Carville & Begala and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial before becoming an independent political consultant. She has been campaign manager on political campaigns ranging from local city councils to United States Congress. Most recently, Hannah spent four years in the private equity department of a small investment firm in New York City, raising money for biotech companies doing early research into therapeutic oncology drugs. Hannah left her job and NYC to concentrate full-time on The Colon Club and its projects. She lives in Little Rock, AR and enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.
E-mail Hannah
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Steve DeLuca was diagnosed at age 33 with stage III colon cancer in November 2001. After surgery and 6 months of chemotherapy, he started running to get back in shape. He now runs marathons and triathlons to raise awareness about colorectal cancer. He is a firefighter in the North suburbs of Chicago and a die hard Cubs fan. He does public speaking whenever he gets the chance in between the firehouse, running, and being home with his wife, Amy, son, Riley and twins, Lucas and Leah. Steve actually came across the Colossal Colon® when it was in Chicago in 2003. Shortly after that he contacted Molly and they have been close ever since. He was chosen to be Mr. May in the 2006 Colondar and continues to be an active part in The Colon Club. He was on the Board of Directors for the STOP Colorectal Cancer Foundation in Chicago before coming to The Colon Club. STOP's founder retired and closed up shop and Steve decided that The Colon Club was the perfect fit for him. He considers his cancer diagnosis a life changing experience and feels that being an advocate for colon cancer is a calling. "Life is a journey, not a destination."
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