Bemis Manufacturing teamed up with leading advocacy organization Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) for March, Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, for the second year in a row.

The family-owned manufacturer donated 100 toilet seats that are displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as part of Fight CRC’s Call-on Congress, an event where colon and rectal cancer survivors, caregivers, and loved ones from all over the U.S. unite to make their voices heard. As part of the installation, each seat displays an awareness fact or statistic about the disease, which is the second-most fatal cancer in the U.S. 

The seats were surrounded by more than 27,000 blue flags on the National Lawn, each symbolizing a projected case of colorectal cancer in someone under age 50 by the year 2030. 

Fight CRC hosted the second installation for colorectal cancer on the National Mall to gain attention from lawmakers about the fact that colorectal cancer is projected to be the No. 1 cancer killer among those ages 20-49 by 2030. There is an urgency to fund more research to uncover groundbreaking treatments to save lives.

“We are honored to support the second iteration of this event to bring awareness to the fight against colorectal cancer,” said T.J. Stiefvater, vice president of marketing for Bemis. “Virtually everyone has a relative or friend who’s been impacted by this disease. We feel strongly about shining a light on it and helping raise awareness about what can be done to alleviate the suffering it causes.”

Contrary to what most people believe, colorectal cancer is not an “old man's” disease. One in 23 men and 1 in 26 women will be diagnosed with this type of cancer in their lifetime. In 2023, the American Cancer Society estimates 153,020 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the U.S., and 52,550 people will die from the disease.

68% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented with timely screening. Bemis’s home state of Wisconsin is the 39th deadliest state for colorectal cancer. In this state alone, 2,650 new cases are estimated to occur in 2023, with 880 deaths estimated.