Contact:
Dona Wininsky
(262) 703-4840
Brookfield, WI (May 8, 2017) – Today, the American Lung Association in Wisconsin is supporting LUNG FORCE during National Women’s Lung Health Week (May 7 – 13) by turning local landmarks turquoise and encouraging our communities to take action while wearing turquoise in an effort to defeat lung cancer in women. LUNG FORCE is an initiative uniting Americans against lung cancer, the #1 cancer killer of women. In Wisconsin, numerous landmarks* will be illuminated in turquoise—the signature color of LUNG FORCE—in honor of National Women’s Lung Health Week.
Anyone can get lung cancer and sadly, one woman dies every eight minutes in the U.S. from the disease. Early detection and treatment of lung cancer translates to higher survival rates, however only 18% of lung cancer cases among women are diagnosed early, when the disease is most treatable. Awareness is critically low – in fact, nearly all women (98%) don’t even have lung cancer on their health radar and most women (71%) believe that not enough is being done to raise awareness for lung cancer.
Now in its fourth year, Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE is encouraging women and men in Wisconsin to take a stand against lung cancer by launching a social campaign asking people to #ShowYourLUNGFORCE to demonstrate the power of our lungs and motivate people to take action in support of the movement. Donations will support the American Lung Association’s investment in lung cancer research and patient support, including early detection, clinical trials, biomarker testing and advocacy for more federal research funding. It will take a FORCE to end lung cancer and support is critical.
“We don’t associate lung cancer with the female gender,” said Racine resident Sandra Helmin-Clazmer, 2017 WI LUNG FORCE hero. “They don’t think they’ll ever get it because, ‘Oh, I’m a nonsmoker, I’ll never get lung cancer.’ Well, I was too. Lo and behold – 33, and here I had lung cancer.”
Below are some of the ways to take action:
- Participate on social:
o Upload a video or photo to your social channels – Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – demonstrating how you Show Your LUNG FORCE and use the #ShowYourLUNGFORCE hashtag
o Tag 3 of your friends and challenge them to do the same
o Donate directly from the LUNG FORCE Facebook page or LUNGFORCE.org.
- Donate in-store: Stop by any CVS Pharmacy location from May 7-27 to donate $3 at the register to raise much needed funds for lung cancer awareness and visit Lung.org/CVS for easy ways you can help your community become tobacco-free. As the national presenting sponsor of LUNG FORCE, CVS Health is committed to creating tobacco-free communities to help beat lung cancer. The in-store campaign is part of CVS Health’s 5-year $50 million initiative to help deliver the nation’s first tobacco-free generation.
*2017 LUNG FORCE Turquoise Takeover Illuminations:
- Milwaukee Art Museum/Calatrava (New this year!) Tuesday – Thursday
- Milwaukee Gas Light Building (New this year!)
- Mitchell International Airport/MKE Monument letters (New this year!)
- Wisconsin Center District Wells Street Tunnel (New this year!)
- US Bank Center
- Mitchell Park Domes Monday–Wednesday
- Marquette Interchange
- Milwaukee Fire Department Headquarters
- Johnson Controls, Inc. – Glendale
- GE Healthcare – Wauwatosa
- FedEx Ground – Brookfield
- Governor’s Residence – Madison
- Appleton Family Ice Arena (Logo inside on ice) – Appleton
