Merrill Ann Culverhouse, a junior at Opp High School, advocates for her dad, Merrill. Merrill is the owner and pharmacist at Crenshaw Drugs, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2013. They both traveled to Washington D.C. this past March with Fight CRC to lobby for awareness and increased funding for colon cancer. It was in D.C. where the Culverhouses met with Dr. Sam Pace and Dr. Roy Duhe’ from Mississippi who are responsible for the first colon cancer tag in the nation.  When Culverhouse returned home, she started the planning stages of the Alabama tag. She partnered with Rumpshaker Inc., the only state-wide non-profit dedicated to colon cancer issues.

Culverhouse has secured development for the first specialty license plate promoting Colon Cancer awareness and screenings in the state of Alabama, and only the second in the nation.  “I wanted to come up with a permanent source of funding in the form of a statewide specialty license plate to promote colon cancer awareness, raise funds to fight and treat it, and provide hope for colorectal cancer survivors and those affected by the disease,” said Culverhouse.

Rumpshaker Inc, formed by family and friends in memory of Lisa Martz in 2009 is a non profit based in Birmingham, Alabama. They are also dedicated to raising awareness and funds for colorectal cancer and providing support both financially and emotionally for patients and their families in Alabama.

The design was approved by the state and she now has one year to secure 1,000 pre-commitments before you will see them on Alabama highways.  Please “Get behind a Cure” and purchase you tag today!

*   Pre-commitment purchase at: https://precommit.mvtrip.alabama.gov/

*   $50 commitment then $50 renewal fee each year

*   Personalize your car tag and share your own message

*   $41.25 of the proceeds go to Rumpshaker, Inc.

When asked why it is so important to raise awareness about colon cancer, Merrill Ann states, “There is an alarming rate of people being diagnosed with colon cancer (many are actually younger that the recommended screening age of 50, like my dad) so it is a personal crusade for me to promote awareness.  I think many people have a fear of having a colonoscopy so it is important that we dispel the misconceptions of that, but more importantly. With colon cancer being the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women combined, it is crucial to educate the public as to the importance of getting screened because if you are diagnosed early, you can beat this disease.”