Hello, and thank you for visiting my page to learn more about why I’m participating in my first Trek Across Maine this June!
The Trek Across Maine is the largest fundraising event in the country for the American Lung Association. The American Lung Association, founded in 1904 as the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, is the oldest voluntary health organization in the United States. The organization, renamed the American Lung Association in 1973, expanded its efforts in the mid-twentieth century to combat a variety of threats to lung health.
Lung disease can take someone's breath away, leaving them unable to work, exercise or play. Growing faster than almost any other major illness, lung disease, including lung cancer, asthma and emphysema is the third leading cause of the death in the United States. In 1904, when the American Lung Association was founded, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the United States. Today, lung cancer is responsible for the most cancer deaths in the country.
The American Lung Association is involved in policy work to provide safe, healthy air for all. They advocate for environmental and health policies that ensure equal access to clean air, and produce reports that highlight disparities in lung cancer, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses. This information is critical to assessing and addressing the disproportionate health impacts of pollution and climate change on communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities.
I’m honored and excited to tackle this challenge on two wheels for such a worthy cause. Please join me in my efforts to make a difference by making a personal or corporate tax-deductible donation.
Thank you in advance for your support!