Welcome Wednesday!

One new team to announce: Welcome Paw's Posse to our event - we can't wait to see you in September!

We hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy (or stay in and be cool during) this upcoming heat wave!

Friday Facts: Lung Cancer Kills

Did you know that lung cancer is the leading cause of all cancer deaths in the United States? In 1987, it become the leading cause of cancer related death in women, surpassing breast cancer. Needless to say, any cancer diagnosis is a scary and serious one. But to be diagnosed with the most vicious killer in the cancer world? No one would wish such a future on even their worst enemy.

Here's how the other leading cancer deaths stack up to lung cancer deaths:



Colon, breast, pancreas, and prostate cancer deaths just about add up to equal the number of lung cancer deaths in the United States last year. Join us this year at Free to Breathe as we fund valuable research to one day beat this disease, or at least make it a livable diagnosis.

Welcome Wednesday

Two new teams this week-- woo-hoo!



A warm welcome to TEAM BUCK and Sherri's Stompers!!

Thank you to all teams and participants who have registered so early. We hope this event continues to grow in the coming months, and we know it will with your support!

Friday Facts: Dispelling a Common Misconception

A lot of people believe that lung cancer is "the smoker's disease." However, this is not true! If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. Though you surely increase your risk by smoking, this disease is not specific to smokers. Lung cancer does not discriminate.

I've spoken about lung cancer with lots of people, and I've definitely heard a person or two say, "Well, I guess they brought it upon themselves" or "Well, don't they kind of deserve it?" The answer is NO!!! NO ONE deserves to get lung cancer, or any type of cancer for that matter!

This stigma is one reason that lung cancer is one of most serious but least-funded type of cancer in our country. By raising awareness, we can help end the prejudice and educate people about how they can help.

But, of course, please don't smoke! And if you do, please quit!

Apple Blossom Parade

Look out for us at the Apple Blossom Parade in Westford this Saturday, May 18! Our team will be marching and handing out Lung Cancer Awareness bracelets as well as Save the Date cards. The parade starts at 10 am! For more info about the Apple Blossom celebrations, click here.

Welcome Wednesday!

Sorry to keep you all waiting, but here is another thrilling edition of Welcome Wednesday! We had a bit of a lull in registration which, at still about 4 months from event day, is totally understandable. But we don't want to miss this opportunity to welcome our 2 new teams:

Z28's Crusing for Anthony

and

J. Donovan's Clan

We are now at an impressive TEN teams with 37 members total and growing! Planning committee meetings are occurring once monthly with a group of truly dedicated and passionate men and women. Please feel free to contact us via Facebook, Twitter, or Email if you are interested in joining us for planning meetings! 

Let the countdown begin... We are betting that the time is sure to fly by!

Friday Facts: NLCP's view for 2022

The second edition of Friday Facts piggybacks onto the first edition. We're talking lung cancer survival rates. If you missed last week's edition, check out that post by clicking here!

This is a more uplifting and hopeful look at the shockingly low survival rates of lung cancer. Recently, the National Lung Cancer Partnership announced that they hope to double the 5-year lung cancer survival rate by 2022! Achieving such a goal will take a lot of hope and a lot of innovation and a lot of hardworking people. NLCP plans to get here by funding research, treatment, tumor testing, and clinical trials. The goal is lofty but attainable. Find out how you can help by visiting the National Lung Cancer Partnership's website.

May Updates...

Hey y'all! The weather in Massachusetts has been absolutely gorgeous for the past few days, but today scattered showers litter the forecast. While it rains and you're bored inside or at work, make sure to register for Free to Breathe or recruit your friends to your team! No one new to welcome this week, but we predict that registration will pick up as summer draws near.

A few updates... Check out Free to Breathe Chelmsford's event chair Becky Jacobson (left) alongside planning committee member Kate O'Donnell at Chelmsford's recent volunteer fair. These lovely ladies were able to generate a lot of interest in the walk, and many local residents were excited that a lung cancer awareness event has finally come to our area!

And here is planning committee member and lung cancer survivor Sue Appleby (left) representing Free to Breathe at Tewksbury's recent health fair! Many thanks to Sue for publicizing our event!

If you know of any opportunities in the near future at which Free to Breathe would be able to publicize and spread the word, please let us know by leaving a comment or shooting us an email! These could include health fairs, volunteer fairs, farmers markets, or other town events.

In addition, please feel free to contact us if you are interested in joining the planning committee or becoming an event sponsor of any kind. You can register for our event here!

Friday Facts

Welcome to the first edition of Friday Facts! This series was a suggestion from a member of Free to Breathe Chelmsford's AWESOME planning committee! Each Friday, we will share a little-known fact or two about lung cancer. Today's fact deals with lung cancer's staggering and shocking survival rates.

Lung cancer is a disease that people don't really know much about until they are directly affected by it. One of the National Lung Cancer Partnership's goals is to increase awareness of lung cancer -- we can help by giving our audience the facts about this scary sickness.

Did you know that every year in the United States, over 228,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer? Additionally, almost 160,000 die of the disease each year.

Survival rates are a grim reality, with only 16% living for more than 5 years after diagnosis. For a shocking visual, check out this graph comparing lung cancer with two other common types (breast and prostate) of cancer diagnoses.

In 2013, no one should have to face a life-threatening diagnosis. It's time to raise awareness about the seriousness of this problem in order to raise money to fund trailblazing research. Cancer makes us feel scared, helpless, angry, hopeless, lost, sick, and sad. Please feel empowered to make a change! Join us in the fight against lung cancer!

Register for Free to Breathe Chelmsford here.

*Note: Facts taken from the National Lung Cancer Partnership Website