Step Up!

Lung cancer has become the leading cause of death in Americans, and children of lung cancer victims are stepping up and speaking out in the 2^nd Annual L.A. Lung Cancer Walk that took place in Manhattan Beach this Sunday, November 18^th.

Speak Out!

Co-hosts and organizers Ilene Eskenazi and Mimi Sabo lead the 5K/10K event down the Manhattan Beach Strand with actress and cancer survivor Kathy Joosten of “Desperate Housewives” and CBS news anchor, Linda Alvarez speaking about their personal experiences. Kathy Joosten was recently seen this week on “The View” and has helped to promote further understanding about lung cancer, dispelling the stigma associated with it.

Where & When

Organized by Give Hope, a nonprofit organization that raises funds and awareness about lung cancer, the walk started at 8:30 am at the Manhattan Beach Pier. 

LUNGevity Foundation

All proceeds from the L.A. Lung Cancer Walk (which is the only one in Los Angeles devoted to lung cancer research and awareness), will go to the LUNGevity Foundation, for finding a cure.

Silence & Stigma Kills

Until the deaths of Peter Jennings and Dana Reeves, lung cancer has been the silent but deadly disease. Long associated with smoking and smokers in general or asbestos related exposure, lung cancer is often viewed as an avoidable result of habits. This is simply untrue and a myth costing lives everyday in America.

The stigma of lung cancer has kept the victims and their families quiet and Ilene Eskenazi and Mimi Sabo know too well the toll of silence. Both lost their mothers to the disease, and their frustration has led the way to walk for awareness and to bring about dialogue. Sabo lost her mother to the disease, never smoking a day in her life and Eskenazi mother had quit smoking 15 years prior to her detection. One fact about lung cancer is that this is a growing epidemic not necessarily associated with preventable lifestyles.

Hope & Help

There is hope for lung cancer survivors, victims and their families. With the help of Chicago based LUNGevity Foundation, a private leading provider of research funds, that has raised more than $3.4 million since 2000, millions of Americans can breathe easier and live longer.

The Facts

The statistics on lung cancer in America are troubling. Early detection is essential, but many are not diagnosed until it has reached later stages and 84% of newly diagnosed patients will die from the disease within 5 years. The leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., lung cancer kills more than breast, prostrate, colorectal, and prostrate combined. However, the amount of government spending on research is ten times more for breast and other cancers than lung. Half of all those diagnosed with the disease have never smoked, making the connection between smoking and lung cancer a surprising and often deadly misnomer. Because of the lack of funding, research, and key facts about the disease, survival rates have not improved since the 70’s. This cannot be tolerated anymore.

Sponsors

With LUNGevity Foundation, Give Hope and the grassroots efforts of Eskenazi and Sabo for starting the L.A. Annual Lung Cancer Walk, the grim future of lung cancer can be made brighter. Participants in the walk will feel good, breathe easier and help end the silence this Sunday. There will be gift bags for participants, prizes and music provided by STAR 98.7. Sponsors include VONS Supermarket, Troy & Gould, MNP Corporation, Akin Gump LLP, Solid Signal, Sunkist Pistachios, Soy Joy, and Paramount Citrus. 

For more information please go to:

www.lungcancerwalk.org

For more information about LUNGevity, please visit their website, www.LUNGevity.com