To get involved with Free to Breathe, go to www.freetobreathe.org
Five years ago, after losing her friend and colleague to lung cancer, Amy Waggoner wanted to do something to bring awareness to the disease that is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women.
“I started to research because I wanted to learn more about lung cancer,” said Waggoner. “This affected someone very close to me and it is the same for a lot of people in our community who are affected by lung cancer.”
The more she researched, the more she was inspired to raise awareness and funding towards research.
In 2010, Waggoner, an attorney in Alpharetta, organized and kicked off the Atlanta Free to Breathe 5K to raise money for research and support the mission to double the survival rate of lung cancer by the year 2022.
“The events have brought awareness to our cause, but also got to bring together survivors, families and others in the community that have been affected by lung cancer,” said Waggoner.
The Atlanta Free to Breathe 5K was held at John Howell Park in Virginia-Highlands on Aug. 16 where all proceeds from the event support Free to Breathe.
Smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer, but nonsmokers can also be affected by the disease.
“My mother never smoked and none of us in the family smoked either,” said participant and volunteer Uren Patel, who lost his mother, Usha, to lung cancer in 2012. “This disease really can affect anyone, so it was important for us as a family to find a way to raise awareness and educate our community.”
The Lithia Springs resident got involved with the Atlanta event to honor his mother’s memory through the team, Usha’s Brave Runners, and raised over $2,000 towards the cause.
Like Patel, “We want people to be involved and educated about the disease,” added Waggoner. “If you couldn’t make it to the 5K, host a fundraiser, or donate to the cause itself. Everything helps to fight for our friends, families and community who have been affected by lung cancer.”
Since 2010, the Atlanta Free to Breathe 5K has donated over $100,000 to the lung cancer research and advocacy organization.
In other news: Delta Community Credit Union's Philanthropic fund donated $10,000 to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's Georgia Client Services program. The Georgia Client Services program provides direct financial assistance to individuals and families facing economic crisis in the form of food, clothing, rental and utility assistance and prescription drugs.
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