Hope On The Horizon: Cancer Survivors Fly Over Orange County

IRVINE, CA — Cancer survivors took to the air on Monday to share a message of hope for ending a disease that affects one in three Americans in their lifetime.

City of Hope, one of the country's largest cancer research and treatment organizations, celebrated the opening of the Lennar Foundation Cancer Center with a Great Park Balloon ride in Irvine.

City of Hope patients, along with county officials and local authorities, rose into the Orange County sky in a hot air balloon wrapped with a simple and powerful message: "Rise Above Cancer."

The balloon's flight took place as the center's first treatment patients walked in through its doors. The initiative, co-led by City of Hope and FivePoint, is an "expression of optimism for Orange County's 3.2 million residents and a national call to action to come together to eradicate cancer," according to a news release.

"Cancer touches us all," City of Hope Orange County President Annette M. Walker said in a news release. "Advanced cancer care and groundbreaking research are helping turn the tide against cancer, and we're asking everyone in Orange County to 'Rise Above Cancer' with us. Everyone in the community, including our friends and family, can share in this hope on the horizon."