American Lung Association Fight For Air Walk Takes Steps To End Lung Disease

COLUMBUS OH (05/31/2011)(readMedia)-- The American Lung Association's 2011 Columbus Fight For Air Walk will take place on Saturday, June 4th, 2011.

The event, which is expected to attract 200 people, is sponsored by Nationwide Children's Hospital, Fifth Third Bank, Interim Healthcare, MORPCA, Genentech, MORPC, Novartis, Columbus Cyberknife, Easton Town Center, Level 3, Starbucks, Trader Joe's, UDF, Senior Care of Ohio, C.O.Bigelow, Cosi, Kroger, Powerade, and Cheryl & Co.

Walkers, volunteers, and guests will enjoy live music entertainment from guitarists duo Drawing Airplanes, a children's area with face painting and balloon art, refreshments, and a warm-up from Core Fitness Studios. Emcee for the event will be 10TV Weekend Meteorologist, AJ Smith.

The Fight For Air Walk is a family friendly 5K walk held to increase awareness and raise money for the American Lung Association's fight against lung disease. Programs such as Freedom From Smoking and local Better Breather's Clubs are all community based programs funded through monies raised during the walk. Lung diseases such as asthma and COPD cannot yet be cured, but they can be managed. Making sure people know what is needed to take control of these lung diseases is one of the American Lung Association's top priorities.

* 35 Million Americans are living with chronic lung diseases such as asthma, lung cancer and COPD.

* Every day 52 Ohioans die from tobacco related disease and 57 Ohio kids become daily smokers.

* More than 22 Million Americans currently have asthma.

* Asthma accounts for an estimated 14.5 million lost workdays for adults and 14 million lost school days for children annually.

* The economic cost of asthma is staggering - over $19.7 billion dollars is spent annually.