I appreciate the opportunity to inform you about the 160 mile Autumn Escape Bike Trek I will be doing to support the American Lung Association.  This cycling event will be held September 28-30, 2012 and travels along Cape Cod, MA for 3 days.

I will continue my efforts to raise money to help support the efforts of the American Lung Association by riding my bike on the Cape along with hundreds of other devoted supporters of this wonderful cause.

There are many exceptional fundraising organizations.  The ALA is no exception.  Many of such organizations raise funds to support specific diseases (ie.  cancer, MS, learning disabilities).  Clearly these are worthy causes, and I strongly support such causes as well.  What distinguishes the ALA is that its mission is not solely defined by researching and treating lung diseases (lung cancer, asthma, emphysema, etc.) it also focuses its attention on disease education, disease prevention (smoking cessation, asthma prevention, vaccines) and advocacy.  The ALA was instrumental in helping the revised Clean Air Act pass. 

A powerful effort was made in Congress to support the tighter control of emissions, thereby limiting dangerous particulate matter that pollutes our air and water supply.  We now know that small particulate emissions not only exacerbate a variety of lung diseases, but also enhance your risk of developing heart attacks and strokes.  I was very fortunate to have been invited by the ALA to testify in the US Senate ALA this past year in support of the Clean Air Act. 

Just spend a day in one of the many smoggy, polluted cities around the world and you'll quickly appreciate the value of clean air. 

Please support the ALA by giving towards this cause that is clearly near and dear to me.

Sincerely,

David