Libertyville Walk to Raise Funds For Lung Disease Prevention

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — More than 1,000 area residents will walk three miles as part of the LUNG FORCE Walk in Libertyville in September. Held on Sept. 22, and hosted by the American Lung Association in Greater Chicago and Northwestern Medicine, the walk will take place at Independence Grove.

The festive event will include inspirational speakers, music, activities for the whole family, and an option for a one-mile or three-mile walk, according to a news release.

“Every step we take and every dollar we raise helps in our work to put an end to lung cancer and lung disease,” said Kristen Young, executive director of the Lung Association. “We walk to remember our loved one’s smile, to find our own strength, and to remember we are not alone in the fight against lung disease. For people with lung disease or lung cancer, this one-mile or three-mile walk is their marathon.”

In Illinois, more than 1.4 million residents live with lung diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis and other lung diseases. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United States and in Illinois, an estimated 9,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer and almost 6,000 will die from the disease in 2019, according to the news release.

Money raised at the LUNG FORCE Walk increases awareness for lung disease, funds life-saving lung cancer research, and supports local programs that help children manage their asthma, facilitate support groups for adults with chronic lung disease, and help residents quit smoking.

The LUNG FORCE Walk will start at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 22, at the Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville. The event is free to attend, but fundraising is encouraged.

More information is available on the LUNG FORCE Walk website.