RALEIGH’S FIRST Free to Breathe™ 5K USHERS IN LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN NORTH CAROLINA

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Harvey Henao, PCI PR, National Lung Cancer Partnership  312-558-1770 hhenao@pcipr.com

Amy Cipau, North Carolinians Against Lung Cancer           919-271-6055 amydelcip@aol.com

Event Registration:   www.freetobreathe.org

 

RALEIGH, NC-- Sandy Oehler of Raleigh feels like the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash. She is one of the lucky ones, a lung cancer survivor who has beaten the odds since her 2003 diagnosis.

 

“Most people with lung cancer don’t make it,” says Oehler, 45, who is married and has a young son.  “By the time they are diagnosed it is too late.” 

 

More than half of those diagnosed with lung cancer die within a year. Oehler, and a host of other dedicated volunteers, wants to change that statistic, which is why they are organizing Raleigh’s first Free to Breathe™ 5K Run/Walk at Ravenscroft School, Saturday, November 3rd, to increase awareness and funding for lung cancer research.

 
Oehler has been championing the cause of lung cancer since recovering from her own treatment for the disease, an event she calls life altering.  Once a high-powered retail executive, Oehler was fired from her job following her diagnosis and has since realigned her priorities. She now works part time, spends time with family, and volunteers with the local group, North Carolinians Against Lung Cancer (NCALC), which is organizing the Free to Breathe™ Event.

 

Amy Cipau, spokesperson for NCALC, says the group is excited to be a part of Raleigh’s first Free to Breathe™ 5K. “There has been a great deal of interest among sponsors and participants in the Free to Breathe™ 5K,” says Cipau.  “Lung cancer is the most deadly and least funded of all cancers, and 100 percent of all proceeds will go directly to lung cancer research.”

 

Duke Cancer Center Raleigh is title sponsor for the event, which is presented by the National Lung Cancer Partnership (NLCP) and will include family-oriented activities, a clown and food.

 

Featured speakers are Dr. Jennifer Garst, a medical oncologist at Duke University and Dr. David White of Duke Thoracic Surgery of Raleigh. Garst is a board member of both NCALC and NLCP.

 

NCALC hopes to register at least 500 participants and raise more than $25,000 for lung cancer research. NCALC members successfully petitioned the Governor’s office, resulting in Governor Easley proclaiming November officially as Lung Cancer Awareness Month.  “This inaugural Free to Breathe™  event in North Carolina is a great way to kick-off Lung Cancer Awareness Month,” says Cipau.

 

 

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in this country, resulting in more deaths each year than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer receives less funding than other cancers, probably because most people think that victims bring the disease upon themselves by smoking.  In reality, the majority of lung cancer cases, 60 percent, are diagnosed in non-smokers. This percentage includes former smokers as well as those who never smoked, like Dana Reeve, widow of Christopher Reeve.

 

“I think events like this one in Raleigh put a face on this disease and make it more personal for people.” says Oehler.  “I thought I was safe because I quit smoking 10 years before I was diagnosed.”

 

North Carolinians Against Lung Cancer is a dedicated group of survivors, advocates and healthcare professionals who have joined efforts to increase awareness and research funding for lung cancer. NCALC is affiliated with the National Lung Cancer Partnership, the only nonprofit lung cancer advocacy organization founded by physicians and researchers dedicated to increasing lung cancer awareness and research funding.

 

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Schedule of Events: Saturday, Nov. 3, Ravenscroft School

7409 Falls of Neuse Road

 7:30 a.m.  Registration

 8:15 a.m.  Announcer

 8:50 a.m.  Welcome and introduction of North Carolinians Against Lung Cancer, National Lung Cancer Partnership.

 

                  Recognition of Sponsors and Volunteers

 

                  Introduction of Title Sponsor

 

                  Title Sponsor Message: Dr. David White, Duke Thoracic Surgery of Raleigh

 

 9:00 a.m.  1 mile Walk/Run Begins

 

 9:30 a.m.   5K begins

 

10:30 am.  Awards Ceremony and Rally

                 “A Message of Hope”: Dr. Jennifer Garst, medical oncologist at Duke University Medical Center, reports the latest research.

 

Presentation of Awards: Announcer and Dr. Douglas Hammer of Blue Ridge Family Physicians will recognize teams, top fundraisers, survivors and those being honored.

 

Lung Cancer Epidemiology and Funding: Dr. Douglas Hammer

11:00 a.m. Adjourn