The sun was shining in Chicago on October 5 – an appropriate start to a day filled with hope and warmth. More than 700 participants joined forces for the Free to Breathe Chicago Walk and raised over $215,000 for research to support the patients, families, and friends affected by lung cancer.
Lexi Valasek, who shared her story as a patient with stage 4 lung cancer, remarked, “Research is an act of empathy. It’s a collective promise we make to one another. It says: Your life matters. Your fight is our fight. We’re not going to leave you to face this alone.”
“When we fund research, we’re not just writing a check,” she added. “We are investing in the human potential and the fundamental belief that we can and will defeat this disease.”
Hear Lexi’s full speech below. You can find more videos in our photo album.
Tejal Patel, a patient as well as a member of LCRF’s Board of Directors, told the crowd, “There are more treatment options than ever before, and in just the past few years, we’re continuing to see an exponential increase in new treatments approvals, and the pace of progress continues to accelerate. This momentum truly would not be possible without your support, but we can’t stop here. Lung cancer has historically been severely underfunded, and today that’s truer than ever, especially with the federal programs being cut.”
“We will push research forward and bring hope to so many families that are counting on all of us. Every single donation has the power to spark the next breakthrough, the next treatment, and the next reason for hope.”
A special thanks to our sponsors:
- Pfizer Oncology, National Free to Breathe Sponsor
- Abbvie, Chicago Walk Presenting Sponsor
- Johnson & Johnson
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Merck
- Novocure
- Catalyst Pharmaceuticals
- AstraZeneca
- Rush University Medical Center
- Endeavor Health
- Genentech, a member of the Roche Group
- UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Jazz Pharmaceuticals
- Regeneron
- United Airlines
Congratulations to our top fundraising teams: Team Diane, Lively Lungs, Breathe Easy Fight Hard, DeMuffy, and Team DL. Kudos to top fundraising individuals: Jim Dominici, John Dominici, Doug Pawlowski, Brian Duffy, and Tejal Patel.
