Brooklyn Free to Breathe Lung Cancer Event Expected to be Double in Size and Fundraising this Year

On Sunday, October 30, hundreds of people will gather in Cadman Plaza Park to participate in the 3rd Annual Lung Cancer 5K Run/Walk. The event at Cadman Plaza Park is expected to raise over $50,000 for lung cancer research. This year’s festivities will be double the size of last years with an increase in attendance and fundraising. Lung cancer survivors, medical professionals, and families and friends of those impacted by the disease will join together to further Free to Breathe’s mission of doubling lung cancer survival by 2022.

New this year is a special Survivor Tent sponsored by New York Methodist Hospital. The Survivor Area is a very special tent where all survivors are invited to come hang out and enjoy refreshments, whether they’re participating in the run/walk or are just there to support the cause. Survivors will also receive an individual gift thanking them for sharing their stories to help speak out about lung cancer. Another first for the event and its attendees is the addition of complimentary yoga/stretching at the finish for all our participants. Brooklyn-based yoga teacher Clare Patterson will lead the practice.

“We’re very excited about the growth that the Brooklyn event is seeing. Over the past two years we worked hard to get the word out and raise awareness for a great cause and seeing our attendance numbers jump in this way is heartwarming,” said Nicole Habib, event chair for the Free to Breathe Brooklyn 5K Run/Walk. “We are excited by the everyone’s passion and enthusiasm to make a difference in Brooklyn and beyond and so thankful to our partners and volunteers that are helping make this year bigger and better than ever before.”

The event includes a welcome rally, kid’s dash and 5K run or walk that circles the park and across the Brooklyn Bridge. Participants will also enjoy a DJ, family-friendly activities and a free pumpkin decorating station in the Kids’ Area. Sponsors for this year’s event include: New York Methodist Hospital, Neon, AlphaCare by Magellan, C-Town Supermarkets, Nature’s Bakery, Shake Shack, Swiss Tool Corp, Vis Vistae Digital Photography, Phizer Oncology, Genentech and Bristol-Meyers Squibb.

Last year’s Brooklyn Free to Breathe Lung Cancer 5K Run/Walk brought in 294 participants and raised over $43,000 for lung cancer research. The current survival rate for lung cancer is a mere 17 percent, compared to 89 percent for breast cancer and 99 percent for prostate cancer, yet it is among the least funded. Free to Breathe’s goal is to double the lung cancer survival rate by 2022 and events like this across the nation are a large part of that.

For more information please visit www.freetobreathe.com/nycbrooklyn.

About Free to Breathe

Free to Breathe is a partnership of lung cancer survivors, advocates, researchers, healthcare professionals and industry leaders who are united in the belief that every person with lung cancer deserves a cure. Free to Breathe is committed to doubling survival by 2022 because the five-year lung cancer survival rate has increased only slightly in a decade, from 15 percent to 17 percent. The organization focuses on accelerating research, helping patients understand treatment options and ensuring patients benefit from innovative therapies that save lives. To learn more visit www.freetobreathe.org.

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