The American Cancer Society's "Fight Back Express" rolled into Casper Tuesday night in a national tour to show that Americans have the power to fight cancer.

"It's our rolling endorsement," said Lindsey Taylor, Wyoming grassroots manager for the American Cancer Society. "People can learn more about it and physically sign the bus as a show of support."

The large red, white and blue bus arrived at the Crossroads Adventure Park for a public presentation at 7 p.m. Visitors learned more about the tour, listened to a survivor story and were able to sign the bus.

The six-month tour began in May and will weave across the 48 continental states until Election Day, Nov. 4. Today, the bus is scheduled to be in Buffalo, Thermopolis and Cody.

The bus has already put on more than 23,000 miles.

"All public officials are encouraged to attend," Taylor said. "We want them to see what we're doing and also how important this is to their constituents."

One public official who attended the event in Casper was state Sen. Kit Jennings, R-Casper. He was among the first to sign the bus, scrawling his name along with the word, "survivor," near the bottom.

Jennings had a malignant tumor removed from his kidney more than six years ago and said he is one of the lucky ones.

"It was the kind of cancer that if you have the symptoms, you're gone," he said.

Jennings said there are a lot of things that can be done on a state level to fight cancer.

"This shows that legislators should be paying attention to these things," he said. "We need to be aware of different things we can do and ways we can help."

The bus is covered with messages from those affected by cancer. The bus receives so many signatures, Taylor said, that the outer layer of plastic covering has been changed four times since May. The old covers are kept aboard the bus and will be shared with the public after the end of its tour.

"Right after we launched it, people saw the bus and physically stopped the bus in traffic to sign it," Taylor said. "That's how emotional this bus is for people. It's truly a unique experience."

Reach reporter Riane Menardi at (307) 266-0610 or riane.menardi@trib.com.