"Get up! Get out!"

That advice, which is applicable to a person of any age, is something Norma Card takes to heart. At 89, the Auburn, Massachusetts, resident is still driving - to church, to the library, wherever she needs - or wants - to go.

Norma’s never-stop mentality also includes her longtime involvement with the American Cancer Society. She’s done everything from serving on the local board - “beginning perhaps when I was in my 30s” - to speaking at meetings, helping out at Relay For Life^®  events, and making a bequest to the Society.

"Cancer is uppermost in people’s minds. We have made great strides, but there’s still much to be done," she says. As someone who’s made a bequest to the Society, Norma stresses the importance of these contributions. “They will go on – and help others – well after we are gone.

"We need to concentrate on research," she says emphatically. "We still need to know more about the disease, and need to make people aware of everything they have access to through the Society."

Having lost family members and friends to the disease, Norma thinks it’s important for everyone to remember the three A’s. "Acknowledge that you’ve been told about the disease. Accept it for what it is because denial is the best friend of cancer. And finally, Act. You must do something about it," she says.

Norma is equally outspoken about longevity, saying "you must keep your brain going." One of the ways she does that is by reading - everything from Bible studies and light fiction, which she says allows you "to rest your mind a bit," to nonfiction. "It’s also important to keep thinking of others and not turn inward," she says. "Involve yourself with people."

To find out which charitable giving option best fits your specific situation and to help us make a difference in the fight against cancer, please contact an American Cancer Society estate planning professional in your area by calling toll free 800-227-1885.