t was 1960. Thirty-eight-year-old pastor Donald Sather had no idea that 45 years later he would be able to look back on milestones of health discoveries he helped to establish. Together with a large number of enthusiastic members at the Seventh-day Adventist church in Sebastopol, California, he joined what is known today as the Adventist Mortality Study.

Edith Meikle, who attended the Adventist church in Los Gatos, was another participant among 23,000 Adventists from churches throughout California. All helped make a significant contribution to the prevention of cancer and heart disease.

At the Los Gatos church in 1976 both Meikle and Sather enthusiastically joined the next large study, Adventist Health Study-1. More than 34,000 Californian Adventists were in that long-term study. The findings have benefited millions.

In 2003, at 90 years of age, Meikle had no hesitation joining her third study, Adventist Health Study-2. "I got right at it," she said. "It took a little while, but
I didn't mind. It is just one little thing I can do to share the goodness of God."

Sather, now retired, was just as happy to join again. "Everyone counts," he said. "This is another opportunity to gather authoritative data to support the Adventist lifestyle and find more answers about cancer."

Loma Linda researchers value the legacy of these early pioneers in Adventist health research. They anticipate that many of the estimated 22,000 surviving members from the 1976 study will also join the new study. All eligible Adventists in the U.S. are invited to further this legacy by enrolling in Adventist Health Study-2. (Join by completing the form or calling 877-700-7077, or go to the Web site adventisthealthstudy.org.)