Feel free to contact our office at end-meso ( ) x7283 for any questions you have about the event.

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1 Thank you for registering for the 2010 International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma this June at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. We are very honored to have you with us as part of this year s event. Here at the Foundation s headquarters the anticipation is building at a fast rate many months of planning and work are finally coming to fruition. We will meet up with the rest of you as a community; to learn and to work together towards fulfilling our common goal finding a cure. To make your stay in Washington, DC as seamless as possible, we have gathered some useful information about the conference below. Whether you have been here before or this is your first time, your presence at the symposium is important to us and the meso community. The Symposium begins the morning of Thursday, June 10 with Advocacy Day. We will schedule your appointments with the offices of your legislators on Capitol Hill and will prepare you for the meetings during our orientation breakfast beginning 7:30 AM. Due to the early start, we strongly encourage you to pick-up your Symposium materials on Wednesday, June 9 th between 5:00 and 8:00 PM at the Symposium registration table in front of the Palladian Ballroom of the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Also, at that time, our staff will be available to answer any last minute questions that you might have. We will load the bus transporting us from the Omni to Capitol Hill at 9:00 AM. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this schedule, please contact Jeni at or jpiccolo@curemeso.org. The Celebration of Life Tribute Ceremony will take place Thursday evening once we return from Capitol Hill. For those who wish to observe, we will honor the lives lost to this disease. Please bring a photo of someone you would like to remember to this ceremony. We will conclude the events of our first day with a welcome reception Thursday evening. This is a great opportunity to connect with the Meso Community as a whole and prepare for the remaining agenda packed schedule. Friday and Saturday events focus on Community and Science. Both days have interactive sessions to help Renew the Spirit and provide educational information for everyone in the meso community. Throughout this time we will also have social workers available for any individual needs that you would like to cover outside of our scheduled agenda. And of course, the Celebration of Hope Gala Dinner is the highlight of the event where we will join together and feel the warmth, fellowship and hope that our community brings while we unite in the mission to cure mesothelioma. For concerns regarding nearby pharmacies, hospitals and places of worship, we have attached a list of these facilities that are closest to the Omni Hotel. We also often receive many questions about how to be prepared when packing for the event. Washington, DC will be quite warm this time of year with a chance of rain on any given day. We recommend you pack an umbrella and a pair of comfortable shoes for Thursday as there is much walking indoors and outside. Many people tend to wear business casual clothing for their visit to the Capitol. This year we are also encouraging everyone to wear their Meso Foundation T-shirts, which will be handed out at registration, to show your support. Please feel free to dress comfortably the remainder of the conference and always bring a sweater as the rooms are air-cooled. Friday night s Gala Celebration of Hope Dinner is a chance to wear your best past attendees have worn anything from comfortable trousers to cocktail attire. Feel free to contact our office at end-meso ( ) x7283 for any questions you have about the event. We are all very excited for this year s Symposium to be the best yet and look forward to seeing you in Washington, DC!

2 Transportation From/To Ronald Regan National Airport Taxis are available outside the baggage claim area. Fare is approximately $15-$20 (10 20 min) Via Metro Take the Yellow/Blue line from the airport to the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop. Transfer to the Red line to the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan stop. This stop is located one block from the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Fare is approximately $2.65 (25-35 min) Shuttle vans are located at the airport, outside the baggage claim area at Ground Transportation. Look for the blue vans with yellow lettering. The shuttles make multiple stops and drop off directly at the hotel. Advance reservations may be made by calling 800 Blue Van ( ) or online at Approximate fare is $14 for the first guest and $10 for each additional person in the same party. Timing is dependant upon the number of stops required by passengers. From/To Dulles International Airport Taxis are available on the lower level outside baggage claim. Fare is approximately $70-$90 (50-60 min) Approximate one way fare is $29 for the first guest and $10 for each additional person in the same party. Please see details above for reservations. From/To Baltimore/Washington Airport Taxis are available on the lower level outside baggage claim. Fare is approximately $70 (1 hour) Via MARC TRAIN This is a commuter train from BWI to Union Station, which will connect you with the red line metro which you will take to Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan stop. The hotel is one block from metro stop. The MARC train runs weekdays only. For complete schedules and fares, please visit Approximate one way fare is $37 for the first guest and $12 for each additional person in the same party. Please see details above for reservations.

3 Hotel Information Omni Shoreham Hotel 2500 Calvert Street NW (at Connecticut Ave.) Washington, DC (f) Local Area Hospital Providence Hospital 1150 Varnum Street NE Washington, DC Nearby Pharmacies 24 Hour Pharmacy- CVS Pharmacy 67 Dupont Circle Washington, DC CVS Pharmacy Mile Northeast Rite Aid Mile Southeast 2616 Connecticut Avenue NW 1815 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, DC Washington, DC

4 Nearby Places of Worship Temples: Adas Israel Congregation - 1 Mile North Temple Micah Mile Northwest 2850 Quebec Street NW 2829 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington, DC Washington, DC Churches: St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church Mile North All Souls Episcopal Memorial Church Mile North 2665 Woodley Road NW 2300 Cathedral Ave NW Washington, DC Washington, DC Advocacy Day Overview It s time to have our voices heard! We will share our personal experiences and ask our government to commit to our mission to cure mesothelioma. By your advocacy you represent not just yourself and your family, but the countless patients who are not feeling well enough to travel, their loved ones, and all those who face a meso diagnosis in the future. So, your voice and your actions do make a difference to thousands of people! Schedule 7:30 am Registration Registration table in front of Palladian Ballroom. You will need to register for the Symposium AND pick up your Advocacy Day materials. At this time you will be directed to sit with others you will travel with to Capitol Hill. This is a good time to compare schedules and choose a meet up time and point to prepare for any meetings that may be together in the afternoon. 8:00 am Orientation breakfast 9:00 am Load the bus for Capitol Hill you will have a group leader. He/she will be able to answer any questions on the bus ride to Capitol Hill and will direct you to the building of your first meeting. 10:15 am Security Check you will pass through a check that is similar to an airport scan. 10:45 am (approximate time) First meeting with a staff member in your House Representative s office. 12:00 (approximate time) Lunch there are very good, healthy and economical cafeterias for lunch in both the Senate and House buildings. Generally the best cafeterias are Rayburn and Longworth in the House and Dirksen in the Senate. 1:00 pm (approximate time) First Senator meeting. You will be scheduled to meet with staff members in your Senator s office. This meeting is usually larger than your first meeting as other members from your state will also be in this meeting. Please note that the time you have is best used if you prepare with your fellow community members from your state at breakfast and on the bus. 2:00 pm (approximate time) Second Senator meeting. This meeting will mirror your first Senator meeting. 3:00 pm (approximate time) Return to the Omni Shoreham Hotel 2500 Calvert Street NW via taxi (approximately $15) or take the red line metro (approximately $3) at Union Station (2 blocks from the Senate Buildings). It is best to pair up with some of the people from you last meeting to share the taxi fee.

5 Attire and logistics Please feel free to wear your Meso Foundation T-shirt provided to you at registration. Otherwise, general dress should be business casual. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes as even short walks between Congressional buildings become long by the end of the day. Many people who frequent Capitol Hill make use of the taxis to go from the House offices to the Senate offices. This fare is approximately $6 and is a good option if walking is a concern for you. Otherwise, the walk is quite pleasant when your schedule and the weather permits. We also invite you to participate in a conference call on Tuesday, May 25 th at 7:00 pm Eastern and Wednesday, May 26 th at 6:00 pm Eastern to discuss any questions you may have about being an effective advocate. The number to join the call is (308) access code For any further questions, or if your plans change and you are not able to join us, please contact Jeni Piccolo at jpiccolo@curemeso.org or directly at Again, thank you for your time and advocacy. We can t wait to join with you as we use our voices and our personal stories to cure mesothelioma! What s Happening Now and Our Ask Federal legislation to fund mesothelioma research, ban asbestos and raise awareness for mesothelioma needs our support! In the past few weeks we ve worked with Congress to move our legislative goals forward. The current topics we are working on in Washington, DC are as follows: In both the Senate and House of Representatives: Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 this is the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) which will allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate asbestos. We are asking the House to pass the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 and to ban asbestos as an amendment to this legislation. We are asking the Senate to pass TSCA reform as it appears in its drafted form In the Senate: Senator Murray has been working on specific legislation to ban asbestos and fund mesothelioma research through the Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos in America Act. Her work with Senator Boxer on the Environmental Public Works Committee and the EPA is nearing its goal to produce the strongest possible ban of asbestos in the United States. Her legislation will also include research funding for asbestos related disease. We are asking for all Senators to support Senator Murray in her efforts to ban asbestos The Department of Defense (DOD) has established the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) to fund research for diseases that affect the military and military veterans. Currently one third of all mesothelioma cases in the United States affect veterans. With the Meso Community s continued work with Congress this program has successfully funded four mesothelioma research grants in the past two years. We are asking for continued support from Senators to request that mesothelioma remain listed on the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program. In the House of Representatives: Representative Betty McCollum has been at the forefront of legislation to help mesothelioma victims since she took office after mesothelioma claimed the life of Representative Bruce Vento. She is the sponsor of the Mesothelioma Awareness Day Proclamation. This resolution helps raise national awareness for the disease as well as garner the support of her colleagues for additional asbestos and mesothelioma related legislation. We are half way to our goal to make this Proclamation signed into law by President Barack Obama. We are asking each Representative to help raise awareness for mesothelioma by cosponsoring H.Res. 771.