BREATHE DEEP NORTH SHORE JOINT PROCLAMATION CEREMONY SET FOR APRIL 21 IN SUPPORT OF APRIL 27 WALK/RUN

North Shore-area mayors and village/city representatives will gather on Monday, April 21, 2014 for a joint proclamation ceremony declaring Sunday, April 27, 2014 “Breathe Deep North Shore Day” in an effort to raise awareness for the fight against lung cancer. The following 18 communities have issued proclamations and stand with LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s leading lung cancer research organization: Bannockburn, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Evanston, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Long Grove, North Chicago, Northbrook, Riverwoods, Skokie, Vernon Hills, Wheeling, and Wilmette.

The joint proclamation ceremony will take place at Deerfield Village Hall.Many of the mayors and village presidents who signed Breathe Deep North Shore Day proclamations will share what inspired their commitment to this critical cause.

For the third consecutive year, Breathe Deep North Shore’s festivities will take place at Deerfield High School, including a 5k fun run, 2.5 or 1.5 mile walk, and a balloon launch to raise funds for effective early detection methods and treatments of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation anticipates over 1,600 participants on Sunday, April 27, and expects to exceed their fundraising goal of $185,000.  Breathe Deep North Shore has already achieved 90 percent of its fundraising goal. Adults and children of all ages are invited to take part in this fun and meaningful morning. This year, U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider is fielding a team and participating along with Illinois Senators Julie Morrison and Daniel Biss and Illinois Representatives Scott Drury, Robyn Gabel, Elaine Nekritz, and Laura Fine.

Astellas Oncology is the event’s Presenting Sponsor and has the largest team with over 150 registered participants. JAB Produce is a Platinum sponsor and Gold Sponsors include NorthShore University HealthSystem, Walgreens, Fields Auto Group, United Stationers Foundation, AMLI Residential and PPL Group, LLC. Numerous other businesses are generously supporting the event at other sponsorship levels.

What: Breathe Deep North Shore Joint Proclamation Ceremony

Who:  Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal, Bannockburn President James Barkemeyer, Buffalo Grove President Jeffrey Braiman, Glencoe President Lawrence Levin. Highland Park Councilman Tony Blumberg, Highwood Mayor Charlie Pecaro, Lake Bluff President Kathleen O'Hara, Long Grove President Angie Underwood, Riverwoods Mayor John Norris, Skokie Mayor George van Dusen and Illinois Senator Julie Morrison

Where:   Deerfield Village Hall

When:   Monday, April 21, 2014, 6:30 PM CDT

Media interested in attending the Breathe Deep North Shore proclamation ceremony on Monday, April 21 should RSVP to Sue Bersh at northshore@lungevity.org or 847-338-5635.

Media are encouraged to attend Breathe Deep North Shore on April 27, 2014. For the morning’s schedule and more information on Breathe Deep North Shore, visit www.lungevity.org/northshore or contact Sue Bersh.

 About Lung Cancer

•   1 in 14 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.

•   About 60 percent of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.

•  Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, taking more lives annually in the U.S. than the next top three cancers combined.

•  Only 17 percent of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more.

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer.