Bemis Manufacturing Co., a manufacturer of toilet and bidet seats, has teamed up with advocacy organization, Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) for March, Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

The family-owned manufacturer donated 100 toilet seats that will be displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as part of Fight CRC’s United in Blue installation. Each seat will display an awareness fact or statistic about the disease, which is the second-most fatal cancer in the U.S. 

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

The non-profit advocacy organization is hosting the first-ever 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.

“As a manufacturer of toilet and bidet seats, we produce a type of product that people sometimes don’t want to openly talk about because of its private nature,” said T.J. Stiefvater, director of marketing for Bemis. “The same can be said for colorectal cancer. 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 25 women will be diagnosed with this type of cancer in their lifetime. In 2022, the American Cancer Society estimates there will be 106,180 new cases of colon cancer and 44,850 cases of rectal cancer.

The exhibit will be in Washington, D.C., from March 13-18. To learn more about colorectal cancer, visit FightCRC.org.