Kelcey Harrison Great Lung Run Blog Post 10/12/12: I realize that I probably have not been as forthcoming about the challenges of this journey and I'm sure many of you have wondered what the most difficult moments have been. Side note: I don’t really like to talk about my feelings...scary! So, that’s why this has been so late in coming. Let me put it out there: there have been break-downs. There have been days that I wanted to call it a quits a few miles early or moments when I felt pangs of homesickness, but those have been pretty few and far between. I know that there is an end date and a finish line, and those two things alone make it easy to get through each and every day of this adventure. Add to it the fact that I have met incredible people along the way, have my buddy and savior Sydney with me, and have Jill as my inspiration every day, and it’s even easier to keep my eyes on the prize. That said, there are moments that literally stop me, hands on my knees and tears in my eyes when I remember why, exactly, I am running across the country. When that young, beautiful, strong girl with clammy hands, forever stunted fingernails, and razor sharp teeth left this world, we lost someone incredibly special. She was special to so many in very unique ways and the pain of that loss can sometimes overwhelm me at an unexpected moment. Especially over the last month, since Sydney's and my routine has become so consistent, (our routine outlined here, in case you missed that post) it has been easy to think less about the reason that I am doing this run: to honor my friend Jill and to beat lung cancer. It is in the moments when I have allowed myself to truly remember Jill and that I am far from being the only one who lost her, that I have become weak in the knees and shed a tear or two ten. These moments are sad, sure, but I'm not trying to elicit sympathy or make you feel sorry for me. Mostly, because I am not the only one who loved and lost her and what often pains me is thinking about how the rest of her loved ones— parents, family, and friends, also go through each day without her. When we lose someone we sometimes catch ourselves remembering that we are sad at inopportune times. That we miss that person immensely, and that we cannot figure out how or why they are simply, physically gone. In many ways I am grateful for these moments because they mean that I can still picture Jill vividly and that my memory of her is still so close to the surface; that while she may be gone, our collective memories of her keep her around—that giggly, curious, active girl we all grew to love so, so much. In all other aspects, and throughout almost the entire run thus far, I have been pretty positive. I believed that it would all work out and it largely has. I believed that people would be supportive and they have. I believed that it would garner some new attention for lung cancer and it has. But, I have to admit, somewhere in Indiana a terrifying thought occurred to me. It is the only other thing, aside from those overwhelming memories of Jill and our combined loss, that has caused me to cry on the side of the road. Somewhere just before Louisville, KY, my mind was wandering as usual when I suddenly thought, “what if nothing changes after this run? What if no one really pays attention and this run has no impact whatsoever on the future of lung cancer? What if I fail Jill by not making people care enough?” I stopped in my tracks. It was the first time I really allowed myself to think that the Great Lung Run might not "succeed". Luckily, I have incredible people around me who buoyed me back from the bottom and reminded me that we were already reaching new people and providing great education about lung cancer. I have my parents and my extremely wise older sister to thank for quickly reestablishing my positive outlook. The point is, difficult things happen in life. We lose people we love, we endure life's challenges, we go through tough times, and sometimes, we just have to cry or scream or whatever. The important thing is that we acknowledge these moments, take a deep breath, and then remember the bigger picture: to get the word out about lung cancer BIG TIME, and to beat lung cancer for everyone. VISIT THE BONNIE J. ADDARIO LUNG CANCER FOUNDATION WEBSITE VISIT THE JILL'S LEGACY WEBSITE VISIT THE GREAT LUNG RUN WEBSITE
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9/27/2012 The State of Georgia Releases the First Lung Cancer Awareness Specialty License Plates in the CountryRead NowTina Pink Proceeds to benefit the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund and their efforts to support research and awareness. Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) September 27, 2012 // On Monday, September 24th, the state of Georgia released the first specialty license plate in the country specifically dedicated to lung cancer awareness. Now drivers can alert fellow motorists that, in Georgia, lung cancer matters! The plates are now available exclusively through The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund. Georgia drivers can learn more and begin the process of getting theirs at http://www.LungCancerLicensePlate.org. The license plate is sponsored by The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund, a non-profit based in Atlanta that raises awareness and research funds for the number one cancer killer in the world. The process to create specialty license plates in Georgia typically takes nearly two years. The state requires either 1,000 plates to be presold or an up-front payment to be made to cover the fees for those plates. Through The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund's fundraising efforts and the incredible generosity of their supporters, the Gaeta Fund was able to make the payment needed and to the get the bill before the legislature in a matter of months. State Senator Sean Jerguson (R-Holly Springs) was instrumental in adding the lung cancer awareness language to an existing bill (HB 732). He was alerted to this important cause by his close friend and Gaeta Fund supporter, Jackie Archer. A lung cancer survivor herself, Mrs. Archer is also a former Holly Springs City Councilwoman. In April of this year, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed HB 732 into law. "My mother, Joan Gaeta, died of lung cancer after a three-and-a-half year battle," says Tina Pink, a VP of Fundraising for the Gaeta Fund. "She was most passionate about raising awareness and fighting the stigma of the disease. This plate is a big step in that direction. I know she would be very proud! Now it's our mission to get them on as many cars as possible!" Mrs. Pink's sister, Theresa Andretta, VP of Operations, concurs. "Lung cancer kills more people than the next five cancers combined! Yet, it receives the least amount of funding. We have no choice but to raise awareness and to fight the stigma. These plates are a great way to do that. It is incredible to finally see them on the road!" The $25 plate manufacturing fee, payable to The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund, helps them support ground-breaking research through the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute. ABOUT THE JOAN GAETA LUNG CANCER FUND The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund was created in the fall of 2007 as The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation by her husband and children to raise awareness of the disease, to educate the public, and to be an advocate for research. They also strive to eliminate the stigma of lung cancer and to support survivors and their loved ones in their local community. In July of 2010, they re-launched as The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund benefiting the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute. Their ultimate goal remains the same: “to eradicate lung cancer.” By partnering with one significant research initiative, they can make a much greater impact in wiping out lung cancer. http://www.forjoan.org ABOUT THE ADDARIO LUNG CANCER MEDICAL INSTITUTE (ALCMI) ALCMI was established in 2008 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with the ultimate goal of significantly impacting survival by directly catalyzing and accelerating discovery of new and more effective treatment options for all lung cancer patients. Presently, ALCMI has 13 academic and community medical centers in the United States and Europe closely collaborating on cutting edge research initiatives. http://www.alcmi.net ABOUT LUNG CANCER
The Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute Congratulates Congress for Supporting Strategic Translational Research Investments for Lung Cancer By: Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute via PR Newswire SAN CARLOS, Calif., Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) joins the pancreatic cancer patient community in congratulating and thanking the U.S. House of Representatives for unanimously passing the Recalcitrant Cancer Act (H.R. 733) yesterday. This important bill will bring a much-needed strategic scientific and research investment focus on lung cancer and other deadly cancers by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The bill is now before the U.S. Senate for its consideration and vote this week. As a patient-founded translational research consortium, ALCMI was able to additionally contribute the lung cancer researcher and clinician perspectives to the bill's sponsors, in conjunction with cancer patient advocacy organizations. The resultant revisions additionally encompassed lung cancer, which is by far the U.S. and world's number one cancer killer. "We applaud the bill's sponsors, Representatives Leonard Lance (NJ-R) and Anna Eshoo (CA-D), and also thank the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for initiating the effort that resulted in the Recalcitrant Cancer Act," said Steven Young, ALCMI's President. "With the fact that lung cancer patients' 5-year survival rate has remained essentially unchanged at a dismal 15% for the last forty years, lung cancer is by definition recalcitrant." More than 160,000 Americans are projected to die from lung cancer in 2012, taking more lives than the next top four cancers (colon, breast, pancreatic and prostate) combined. The lack of progress against lung cancer has resulted from a number of factors, including the genetic complexity of these tumors coupled with disproportionately low federal research investment. This bill addresses a serious and urgent public health issue. "By prioritizing lung and pancreatic cancers as the two leading, ineffectively-treated causes of cancer mortality in this country, we are not just supporting the best science for science's sake. We will now focus the nation's best scientists to do the best science possible in order to decrease death and suffering from these two major health problems," said David Carbone, MD, PhD, Ohio State University; Chair of ALCMI's Scientific Leadership Board. ALCMI and the lung cancer patient community are elated that Congress and the NCI have taken a key step forward to address these challenges. "As a lung cancer survivor, I urge the Senate to unanimously pass this bill this week," said Bonnie J. Addario, Founder of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and ALCMI. "On behalf of the lung cancer community, we also ask President Obama to sign the bill, once passed, and help us drive research against lung and pancreatic cancers. We didn't ask to be diagnosed with cancer but we are asking for your help finding a cure." About the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) ALCMI, as a patient-founded translational research consortium, was established in 2008 to directly catalyze and accelerate the discovery of new and more effective treatment options for all lung cancer patients. ALCMI has established a centralized, standardized biorepository with associated clinical data to serve as a resource to investigators within and without our consortium member institutions. Presently, 15 leading academic and community centers in the US and Europe have contractually joined together under ALCMI's leadership, collaborating on cutting edge research initiatives. For more information on ALCMI please contact Mr. Steven Young, President at 203.226.5765 or syoung@alcmi.net. http://www.alcmi.net/ About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation BJALCF is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating lung cancer through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, individuals, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established in 2006 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and has raised over nine million dollars for lung cancer research. For more information on BJALCF, contact Mr. Scott Santarella, President & CEO, at 203.858.7032 or ssantarella@lungcancerfoundation.org. www.lungcancerfoundation.org SOURCE Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute by Linkda Geddes, New Scientist Magazine Premium Health News Service [This article was originally published August 22nd, 2012 in the Chicago Tribune.] It started with a sharp pain in her right side whenever she coughed or sneezed. At first, Stephanie Dunn Haney thought she'd broken a rib, so she decided to wait and see if the pain went away by itself. A year and a half later it was still there, so she went to her doctor, who performed an X-ray and found nothing. During the next 18 months, she had MRI scans, ultrasound, physiotherapy and chiropractic therapy. Still the pain didn't go away.
Dunn Haney began to suspect something more serious, but her doctor reassured her. "She told me that she couldn't promise it wasn't something like cancer, but there was nothing to indicate that's what it would be," Dunn Haney recalls. She had never smoked and had no family history of cancer, but Dunn Haney eventually persuaded her doctor to do a CAT scan. It revealed a shadow on her lung -- probably an old infection. She was referred to a specialist to double-check. He too said it was unlikely to be cancer, but Dunn Haney insisted on undergoing surgery to remove a sliver of lung tissue for testing. In October 2007, 3-1/2 years after her symptoms first appeared, she was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer -- as advanced as it can get. Worldwide, more people die of lung cancer than from any other form, and the main risk factor is smoking. But lung cancer in people who've never smoked seems to be on the rise. In the U.S., 17.5 percent of lung cancers occur in this group, and among women the figure is even higher. In Southeast Asia more than 50 percent of women who get lung cancer have never smoked. In fact, if this kind of lung cancer was regarded as a separate disease, it would rank as the seventh most common cause of death from cancer worldwide -- the sixth in the U.S. "You're talking about three or four times as many people who have never smoked dying from lung cancer as die from cervical cancer," says Mick Peake, a respiratory physician at the University of Leicester, UK. New research suggests lung cancer in those who've never smoked is indeed a very different disease. And if lung cancer patients were promptly referred for genetic testing and tailored treatment, rather than all being lumped together, they could have better survival prospects. Meanwhile, a study presented at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago in June shows that such prompt referral is feasible, even for those without access to specialist cancer centers. People who've never smoked may be genetically predisposed to lung cancer or may get it from exposure to air pollution. Sometimes second-hand smoke is to blame -- even as the number of people who smoke is diminishing in many countries as a result of public health campaigns. Yet these health warnings seem to have had an unintended effect. Although they have dramatically cut smoking rates, they may also have stigmatized lung cancer patients and left both the public and some medical practitioners believing the disease is inevitably fatal. Recent research suggests that these factors mean people with lung cancer are less likely to be referred to an oncologist than those with other cancers. In a 2007 study of 672 family doctors in the U.S, 34 percent said they would refer a patient with advanced breast cancer and a poor prognosis to a cancer specialist. Just 20 percent said they would take this action with a lung cancer patient in similar health (Journal of Thoracic Oncology). "The nihilism associated with lung cancer is a big problem," says Joan Schiller of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, who supervised the study. A new study of 36 lung cancer patients in Wisconsin raised similar concerns. "A key issue is a lack of symptom recognition among primary physicians, particularly for patients without a smoking history," says Regina Vidaver, executive director of the National Lung Cancer Partnership, Madison, Wis., who's leading the work. "There's a lot of delay in getting the patients to diagnosis." In one case, she says, a lung specialist refused to refer a patient to an oncologist because he believed nothing could be done. "He was simply told to go home and get his affairs in order." Many suspect this negative attitude may explain why lung cancer gets a fraction of the funding allotted to other cancers. In the UK, lung cancer received just 5 percent of the funding targeted at specific types of cancer in 2010, while 19 percent went to breast cancer (see chart, above). If you compare how much gets spent against the death rates for various cancers, the picture is even more startling. In the U.S., every death from breast cancer receives $26,398 of research funding, compared with just $1,442 per lung cancer death. And yet what research is being done into lung cancer paints an unexpected picture of the disease -- one in which lung cancer in those who've never smoked is emerging as a separate illness with its own outlook. GOOD MUTATIONS Several years ago, Dr. Paul Paik at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and his colleagues discovered that people who've never smoked survived about twice as long with lung cancer as current or former smokers. Since then, they've been trying to figure out why. In May, they published an analysis of tumors from 293 never-smokers and 382 current or former smokers. The study revealed significant differences in three genes that encode key cell-signaling proteins. Mutations in these genes can drive cancer growth. The never-smokers were more than twice as likely as current or former smokers to possess mutations in the EGFR gene and six times as likely to carry a mutation in ALK. Meanwhile, 10 times as many current or former smokers as non-smokers carried a mutated form of a third gene, KRAS (Cancer). "Never-smokers seem to have more good-prognosis mutations. Survival for patients with KRAS mutations is much worse," says Paik. Some of Paik's colleagues have also been studying lung cancer patients who only smoked for a few years, typically while at college. The mutations driving their cancers seem to fall somewhere in between those of smokers and never-smokers. The good news is that we can test for many of these genetic mutations, and even target them with drugs. Leading this wave are erlotinib (sold as Tarceva), which targets EGFR mutations, and crizotinib (sold as Xalkori), which does the same for ALK mutations. Drugs targeting KRAS mutations are also in clinical trials. Targeted drugs seem to be particularly effective in never-smokers, whose tumors tend to have just one or two mutations. Tumors in smokers can contain hundreds of different mutations and are therefore harder to treat. "While we're not talking about a cure, a lot of people who have the EGFR or ALK mutation do spectacularly well on these targeted drugs," says Peake. "The cancers usually do come back, but you can add 18 months or more on a life." The challenge now is to change healthcare workers' perception of lung cancer to ensure that people get prompt and tailored treatment, rather than being dismissed as a lost cause. "The main barriers are the availability and awareness of molecular testing," says Thomas Zander, of University Hospital, Cologne, Germany. At the Chicago meeting in June, Zander explained how, with colleagues in Cologne, he founded a genomic medicine lung cancer network. The network provides a molecular testing service to non-specialist hospitals in the area. In its first 18 months, it handled 2,000 samples from nearby hospitals. In almost 80 percent of cases a molecular diagnosis was possible. Until networks like Zander's are more common, many patients face an uphill battle to get the right diagnosis and access to potentially effective drugs. The first oncologist Dunn Haney saw offered her standard chemotherapy and told her molecular testing was pointless at that stage. "I said that you need to understand, I'm 39 years old and I have a 2-1/2-year-old and a 4-1/2-year-old at home. I have got to beat this," she says. "I was told that's very good, working with fighters is good. The only challenge is sometimes they don't know when to stop fighting." She sought a second, and then a third opinion. Finally, she found a doctor in Pennsylvania who pointed out that while advanced lung cancer generally isn't curable, it can be managed just like diabetes or heart disease. After chemotherapy, Dunn Haney was put onto Tarceva and Avastin, drugs that kept her cancer in check for two years. When it started to grow back, her cancer tested positive for the ALK mutation so she switched to Xalkori. It's now eight years since her symptoms began. "I have fairly normal energy levels and no one really knows I'm sick," she says. Her doctor also has a back-up plan if Xalkori fails: an experimental drug called LDK 378, which targets the ALK mutation in a slightly different way. Her daughters, Libby and Allie, are now 9 and 7, and for every childhood milestone that passes, Dunn Haney feels grateful. "Whether it's teeth or sports wins or finishing a grade, it's not so important that I see them as it is that they know their mother was there to see them," she says. Originally posted at www.lungcancerfoundtion.org. BLINDSIDED BY DIAGNOSIS, 42-YEAR-OLD SAN FRANCISCO ENTREPRENEUR RAISES NEARLY $70,000 TO TAKE DOWN LUNG CANCER William Marble Kipp II and Friends Join the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation’s Army of Alliance Partners SAN FRANCISCO (July 2, 2012) — Like many who rushed to Silicon Valley’s Internet gold rush, William Marble Kipp II found fame fast and furious. First as an innovator in the early 1990’s at Google, then launching his own renewable energy enterprise, nothing could stop this passionate 42-year-old trailblazer. Until last summer in August of 2011 when the never smoker, avid athlete and father of two was diagnosed with metastatic Lung Cancer. In the months that have followed, with the help of his sister Kassidee, 29, and other family members, Kipp is working non-stop to spread awareness and raise funding for the cancer that kills more than 1.3 million worldwide annually and 450 per day in the United States. On May 19, 2012, The William Marble Kipp II Foundation www.WMK2.com raised nearly $70,000 for the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (BJALCF) to help efforts to find a cure for Lung Cancer, at its inaugural fundraiser. The event was held at Bluxome Street Winery in the bustling SoMa district of San Francisco. More than 180 friends and family joined the Kipps to show support for Kipp and to mobilize with the Foundation to end Lung Cancer This pairing of the Kipp Foundation and the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation speaks volumes about the grassroots efforts and initiatives that are joining forces to lend their voice to help fight Lung Cancer. To date, and coast-to-coast, private foundations, independent fundraising initiatives, individuals, families and organizations have teamed up to build on the momentum of BJALCF. They include the Atlanta-based Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund which “Dances for Joan” each year, Grow For The Cure out of South Carolina which touts an innovative online adventure for men to grow beards in humorous shapes and names like “Zappa” and “Old Dutch” challenging support from friends online. Mae’s Breath in New York inhales hope and exhales the stigma, Minnesota-hosted dinner parties in honor of a loved one, galas in Los Angeles, and the Hank Baskett Classic Golf Tournament at Trump International gather thousands together to raise money for Lung Cancer research. “I have always believed taking down Lung Cancer is going to take a village,” says Bonnie J. Addario, founder and 8-year Lung Cancer survivor. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that from SoHo to SoMa we’ve got an uprising and urgency in motion to collaborate in a celebratory way with courageous celebrity voices speaking up like Hank Baskett and Kendra Wilkinson. We’re fighting for the lives of people like William and Hank’s dad because what the world needs to know is that ANYONE CAN GET LUNG CANCER.” “This is just the beginning of what we want to do for Bonnie and the foundation,” said Kassidee Kipp, organizer of the event. “When my brother was diagnosed he was blindsided. But we quickly decided that we wanted to do something to help others impacted by the disease and to help them know they are definitely not alone.” At the fundraiser, William’s children, Katerina, 8, and William the III, who they call, “Mars,” 6, sold bracelets they made themselves raising almost $1,200 in support of their dad and his battle with Lung Cancer, said Kassidee. “His kids feel they need to do something to help their dad,” she said. “They are going to fight to find a cure for their dad and others.” What’s next? It’s called “Fun-Raising” The list of ways you can get involved is growing in leaps and bounds. Please jump on one of the bandwagons below or come up with your own. The Foundation is here to partner with you in many ways…your imagination has no limits. Lung Cancer does not stand a chance because all monies raised go directly to cutting-edge Lung Cancer research. TUNE IN TOMORROW NIGHT to “Kendra ON TOP” (WE tv) Tuesday, July 3 www.wetv.com/shows/kendra-on-top TUNE INTO THE LUNG CANCER LIVING ROOM® EVERY THIRD TUESDAY http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-lung-cancer-living-room-support-group BJALCF–Your Next Step is the Cure® 5ks across the country www.yournextstepisthecure.org Jill’s Legacy®–Jog for Jills 5ks on College Campuses www.jogforjill.com Jill’s Legacy®-Nick’s Crispy Tacos fundraising Party-San Francisco, CA July 26 1500 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94109 THE GREAT LUNG RUN NYC to SF July 29 www.thegreatlungrun.com Stride for Susie and Smita 5K Saratoga, CA August 26 www.strideforsusieandsmita.kintera.org Taking Lung Cancer By Storm, Seattle Storm Seattle, WA September 21 www.lungcancerfoundation.org Cruise For Your Breath Baltimore, MD September 22 www.cruiseforyourbreath.com Fighting Barry 5K, Washington, DC September 23 www.fightingbarry.com Fry’s.com Open CordeValle Golf Course, CordeValle, CA October 8 -14 www.frysopen.com A Next Step For The Cure In Honor of Fred Spanton Ashville, NC October 21 www.lungcancerfoundation.org Palisano/Benson Lung Cancer Barrel Race Santa Rosa, CA November 4 www.2012memorialbarrelrace.kintera.org Simply the Best Dinner Gala 7 San Francisco, CA November 10 www.lungcancerfoundation.org For press inquiries, contact Sheila Von Driska, Communications, at 415.357.1278 or sheila@lungcancerfoundation.org To host an event in your town, contact Jennifer Hughes, Manager of Affiliates and Independent Fundraisers, at 650.333.6936 or jhughes@lungcancerfoundation.org About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation BJALCF is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, individuals, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established on March 6, 2006 as a 501©(3) non-profit organization and has raised over nine million dollars for Lung Cancer research. www.lungcancerfoundation.org About the William Marble Kipp II Foundation The WMKII Foundation is dedicated to increasing awareness of Lung Cancer and funding research for advanced treatments for the disease. William was diagnosed with stage IV Lung Cancer in August of 2011 and is currently undergoing treatment. In 2012 his family and friends established the WMKII Foundation in his honor. www.wmk2.org. 6/20/2012 @TheHankBaskett & @TeamDraft Teamed Up w/ @BonnieJAddario and Raised $145K to Drive the #1 Cancer Killer Off the MapRead NowSAN FRANCISCO, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The former NFL duo is rallying a star-studded list of Hollywood and athletic celebrities to join them in their personal journey to tackle lung cancer Hank: "I'm here to support Bonnie's Foundation because lung cancer is personal to me. It has swooped in and attacked my dad, & I understand how brutally destructive this cancer is & how many people are waging war to battle it." Chris: "I am honored to be here and passionate about helping an organization like the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation that is leading the way, and pushing for immediate answers - not future hypotheses, for people like my wife, who never smoked and was in great physical shape, but was diagnosed with lung cancer and died less than a year later. Bonnie is demanding answers NOW!" Hank: "Every breath you take--the fuel of your body starts with your lungs. So take care of your lungs because you'll need them--more than you'll ever imagine. Trust me." Bonnie: "I get the breathing thing...I know it first hand and I know what it feels like when you can't. It is our FUEL. Without it, life is terribly compromised...just having the support of Chris and Hank takes my breath away--in the good way!" While the U.S. Open was in full swing just 15 minutes away at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, 144 heroes including NFL stars Chris Draft and Hank Baskett were championing the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation's Seventh Annual "Lung Cancer: Drive it off the Earth" Golf Tournament at Alistair MacKenzie-designed Green Hills Country Club. This year's tournament raised more than $145,000 for this least-funded, yet most deadly cancer, which will go toward Lung Cancer research. For both players, lung cancer is personal. Baskett, signed by the Colts and went on to play five years in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, and the Philadelphia Eagles is helping his father battle the disease. Draft, played 12 years in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams, and the Buffalo Bills recently lost his wife to the disease. Together, they are tackling lung cancer by raising awareness. "We're proud that Hank Baskett and Chris Draft are making a bold statement against Lung Cancer," says Bonnie J. Addario, founder and a Lung Cancer survivor. "We're so honored to have Hank and Chris--and their football and Hollywood friends--on our team helping to raise much-needed funding and awareness for Lung Cancer and the message that ANYONE CAN GET LUNG CANCER." The reception cocktail party, silent and live auctions and raffle proved that everyone was a winner. Addario, one of the rare Lung Cancer survivors and founder of the Foundation, welcomed Draft and Baskett into the Foundation's family at dinner. "I'm so proud to have Hank and Chris in our family," said Bonnie. "Hank, I loved meeting your Dad at the tournament you held for us in May at the Trump National Golf Club. The only way I can describe him is he's a GREAT BIG HUG and your mom is a pistol. The leadership and courage you and Chris are bringing to the team has grown way beyond the football field. Thank you for stepping up and helping us turn Lung Cancer into a manageable, survivable disease." There wasn't a dry eye in the house after an airing of "Chris Draft, Love and Loss," -ESPN's touching profile of Chris and his late wife Keasha, and their commitment to dance, smile, and live as they fought lung cancer together. As a former Charlotte Hornets Honeybee dancer and member of Clemson University's Rally Cat dance squad, Keasha was an energetic vibrant young woman who had never smoked when she was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer in December 2010. At the time, her only "symptom" was a slight shortness of breath a few days earlier. Despite the diagnosis and knowing the long odds they faced, Keasha and Chris decided to fight back. On November 27, 2011, standing side-by-side, they launched Team Draft together at their wedding. One month later, Keasha lost her courageous fight and died at the age of 38. "The only way to tackle the issue of lung cancer is to do it as a solid team bringing together everyone from the patients and caregivers to the researchers and the doctors who are demanding that the results so far are not good at all," said Draft. "There's no one group that has a monopoly on this and that is why I was drawn to Bonnie and the foundation because they are working as a team with the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) and their Lung Cancer Living Room® series. What separates them is that Bonnie knows there is a sense of urgency. Keasha had one year from her diagnosis, so I don't listen when someone says 'we're working on it." That's not good enough." First place winners of the sold-out tournament were Michael Vasquez, Greg Gabbani, Josh Lutz and many-time winner Eddie Hernandez with an astounding 54. Second place winners were Rich Deponte, Stan Colombo, Dan Poncabra and long-time faithful major donor Mo Townsley with a score of 55. The tournament's presenting sponsor's team from the Burns Family Foundation and Mobius Fit was led by Rob Dean and the foursome including Dave Engel, Ross Headley and Jeff Lokey came in third with a score of 56 (26 back 9). To view select photos from the tournament, go to: http://tinyurl.com/BJAgolf2012 To join the team and host an event or golf tournament in your town, contact Jennifer Hughes, Manager of Affiliates and Independent Fundraisers, at 650.333.6936 or jhughes@lungcancerfoundation.org For press inquiries, contact Sheila Von Driska, Communications, at 415.357.1278 or sheila@lungcancerfoundation.org About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation BJALCF is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, individuals, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established on March 6, 2006 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. www.lungcancerfoundation.org About The Chris Draft Family Foundation and Team Draft The Chris Draft Family Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation dedicated to strengthening communities by empowering families to live healthy lifestyles. The Foundation focuses on several initiatives with overarching themes that stress the importance of education, healthy lifestyles, character development, personal responsibility, self-discipline, and physical fitness. To learn more about the Chris Draft Family Foundation, please visit www.chrisdraftfamilyfoundation.org . SOURCE Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved 5/30/2012 ATTN: #BayArea #Golfers! Sports Celebs to Tee Off on #LungCancer at #Millbrae, #CA EventRead NowOriginally published on the Millbrae Patch by Gideon Rubin - May 30th, 2012 Proceeds from the Seventh Annual Lung Cancer: Drive It off the Earth Golf Tournament, will benefit the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. The event will be held on June 11 at Green Hills Country Club. Two NFL players and an award winning Bay Area sports anchor will be among the special guests who will appear at a charity golf tournament in Millbrae next month. Wide receiver Hank Baskett, linebacker Chris Draft and KGO-TV's Mike Shuman will participate in the Seventh Annual Lung Cancer: Drive It off the Earth Golf Tournament on June 11 at Green Hills Country Club. Baskett has played for three teams in a six-year NFL career that includes an appearance in the 2010 Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. Baskett co-stars in the reality show "Kendra" with his supermodel wife, Kendra Wilkinson. Draft played for Stanford and has been on seven teams in a 13-year NFL career including a stint with the 49ers in 1999. Shumann, himself a former NFL player whose six-year career included two stints with the 49ers, has become a Bay Area radio and television broadcasting fixture whose distinguished career includes winning an Emmy for anchoring KGO-TV. The event will also feature "Hooked on Golf" radio program creator Mitch Juricich. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. For more information contaact: golf@lungcancerfoundation.org. |
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