American Cancer Society honors Shrewsbury resident

The American Cancer Society recently presented a Sandra C. Labaree Volunteer Values Award to Carol Barton, a Shrewsbury resident. The award is the most honored accolade by the Society in New England, and it recognizes her remarkable accomplishments in support of the Society’s mission to celebrate lives, to save lives and to lead the fight for a world without cancer.

Barton has volunteered her time with the Society for more than 10 years. Starting as a Relay for Life participant with her family at their local event, Barton expressed an interest in looking for more ways to volunteer with the Society. After being introduced to her planned giving director, Barton joined the Society’s National Professional Advisor Network and quickly became a valued, top advisor in Massachusetts, opening doors and making connections for planned giving directors. She has helped the Society secure at least nine gifts since 2010 totaling more than $2,500,000. This includes becoming a Champion herself with a personal gift to the Society. Barton also in 2015 was asked to serve on the Society’s Nationwide Gift Planning Advisory Council (NGPAC) which provides strategy and council to the Society’s leadership on its operation model and gift strategies; she has been a valued leader of NGPAC, serving as chair in 2019 and 2020.

Barton has supported the Society on many fronts, including as a volunteer driver in the Road To Recovery transportation program, as well as serving meals to guests and participating in the hospitality group for the Hope Lodge program. She has been a participant in and a recruitment volunteer for CPS-3, the latest iteration of the Society’s landmark Cancer Prevention Studies which has been running since the 1950s. Barton previously gave her time to the I Can Cope educational series as a Money Matters volunteer and most recently was a leader in the hOUR Challenge to support cancer research funding. She has also volunteered locally with the Society’s Daffodil Days springtime fundraiser.

“Carol has an unbridled passion for the work of the American Cancer Society and exemplifies the values of compassion, determination and diversity over her past decade of service to the organization,” said Michael Duff, Senior Director, Estate & Gift Planning with the American Cancer Society. “Carol is completely invested in the work of the Society and her volunteerism, consistently looking for new opportunities to help and willing to take on challenges to share the mission. Carol is always sharing how thankful she is of the Society to allow her to volunteer, one of her favorite activities to do. She spreads our lifesaving mission with her clients in her role and motivates other estate planning advisors to encourage charitable planning. She understands the critical revenue needs of the organization, especially during the pandemic, and has worked to increase planned gifts during the pandemic. Carol also appreciates the focus on diversity and health equity. She has started a project with her planned giving staff partner to increase education on health equity and increase diversity within the advisor network in Massachusetts.”

The Sandra C. Labaree Volunteer Values Award is named in honor of the late Sandra C. Labaree, a longtime American Cancer Society volunteer from Maine. Despite her death from breast cancer in 2000, Labaree’s spirit and values live on through this award. Each year, the local area Board selects the most inspired and passionate individuals to receive this prestigious honor whose service best exemplifies the Society’s organizational values of mission, stewardship, diversity, data-driven, and respect.

For more information on how to become a volunteer for the American Cancer Society or about the Society’s programs and services, please visit www.Cancer.org or call 800-227-2345.