As the public relations agency for the Lung Cancer Alliance’s San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer 5K Walk, we thought it would be a good idea for us talk the talk and walk the walk for what we were promoting.  Please join us on Sunday, May 1 to support the Lung Cancer Alliance Walk — grown-ups and kids welcome. Your walk contribution of $30 (kids $15) is greatly appreciated and includes a free ticket to the June 4 Padre game. We are equally thankful for general contributions to this great cause.

Facts:

• Lung cancer is commonly misperceived as a “smokers’ disease,” but more than 75 percent of all diagnosed cases occur in people who have never smoked or people who have quit smoking.

• Every year, lung cancer also kills nearly twice as many women as breast cancer and three times as many men as prostate cancer. However, lung cancer receives the lowest amount of research dollars compared to any other major cancer.

To register for our team or donate, please visit:

http://budurl.com/jwcbreathofhope

Full press release:

Third Annual San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk Set for May 1

Walk Benefits Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) for Leading Cause of Cancer Death in Nation

SAN DIEGO – For La Jolla resident Mike Stevens, it began with a cough. At 43 years of age, he was a healthy non-smoker with a wife and two kids – he never thought he’d have lung cancer. Over a dozen rounds of chemo therapy and six years later, Stevens is one of the three to five percent of people that survive stage 4 lung cancer.

In 2009, Stevens and three other San Diegan lung cancer survivors started the San Diego Breath of Hope Cancer Walk. This year, the event will be held on Sunday, May 1 in association with Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA), the only national nonprofit organization that provides support and advocacy for the lung cancer community. All proceeds will benefit LCA.

“Most people do not know that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the nation and in California, taking more lives than breast, colon, prostrate and pancreatic cancers combined,” said Stevens, who is also the co-chair of Lung Cancer Alliance-California. “Our goal is to raise awareness about lung cancer throughout San Diego County and increase early diagnosis and research funding for this deadliest of cancers.”Pre-registration online is $30; on-site registration is $35. Children 12 years old and under are $15. All participants will receive a t-shirt and ticket to the June 4 Padres game. For more information about the San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk or to register, please visit http://www.sandiegobreathofhope.org. For more information about Lung Cancer Alliance, please visit http:// www.lungcanceralliance.org.

The LCA’s San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk, emceed by NBC 7/39’s Whitney Southwick, is a 5K walk that brings together lung cancer survivors, patients, families and friends, among many others. It will be held at Cancer Survivors Park on Harbor Island (4100 North Harbor Drive, San Diego). Registration and expo begin at 7:30 a.m., and the walk starts at 9 a.m.

The walk aims to raise the public’s awareness regarding lung cancer and more specifically address the common myths surrounding the disease. Lung cancer is commonly misperceived as a “smokers’ disease,” but more than 75 percent of all diagnosed cases occur in people who have never smoked or people who have quit smoking. Every year, lung cancer also kills nearly twice as many women as breast cancer and three times as many men as prostate cancer. However, lung cancer receives the lowest amount of research dollars compared to any other major cancer.

The LCA’s San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk is possible because of the generous support of numerous sponsors.  To date, Torchbearer Sponsorship is being provided by NBC 7/39 and Innovator Sponsors include UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and Genentech/(osi) pharmaceuticals. In-kind sponsors include EDCO, Bare Escentuals, La Jolla Printing & Imaging, Palomar Mountain Premium Spring Water and Whole Foods. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Emily Eyres at 202-742-1424.

About Lung Cancer Alliance

Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to providing support and advocacy for people living with or at risk for the disease. LCA’s mission is to lead the movement to reverse decades of stigma and neglect by empowering patients, elevating awareness and changing health policy. Fifty percent of LCA’s work is patient support, with the remaining 50 percent focusing on advocacy and awareness.

Participation and support of LCA’s San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk allows LCA to continue directly helping patients, survivors and their families each and every day, while raising awareness and advocating for change that is now leveraging multiple millions in public health dollars for lung cancer research and early detection.

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Thanks to Cheryl Bruser, Jewish Family Service’s “Project SARAH,” outreach coordinator, for her help in promoting Urban Solace’s recent Urban Seder dinner and her kind words on Jewish Family Service’s blog:

A Very Special Urban Seder

This just came in from Cheryl Bruser, our Project SARAH Outreach Coordinator:

This Passover was indeed different from all other nights…thanks to Urban Solace Chef Matt Gordon and proprietor Scott Watkins! In early March, I learned that Project SARAH would be the beneficiary of Urban Solace’s second annual Urban Seder. I was so touched—I feel it’s especially poignant that they chose our domestic abuse program, with Passover having such strong themes of liberation from oppression, freedom from slavery, rebirth and renewal. The holiday provides a powerful Jewish context of healing for our domestic violence survivors.

I, along with about 60 other guests, attended the Seder, which was led by Sam the Cooking Guy (Sam Zien) and restaurant critic Steve Silverman. They used the “Haggadah for Urban Solace” compiled by Steve.

Chef Gordon served delicious family-style dishes including chicken liver pâté, charoset and house-made gefilte fish. The four-course dinner included Caramelized Fennel and Roasted Garlic Matzo Ball with Jidori Chicken Consommé; Cold Smoked Char with Asparagus/Lemon/Herb Quinoa; Braised Shortrib, Green Garlic Pistou, Sweet Potato-Parsnip Tzimmes; and a special dessert of Lemon Blackberry Cake with Basil/Mint and Cracked Almonds. It was the most delicious Passover Seder I’ve ever been to!

Not only was the food outstanding, but Chef Gordon was a gracious and generous host…a real mensch. It was fun to sit at the long family-style tables, watching everyone engage in conversation with their neighbors, moving from strangers to new friends. Though the highlight of my evening was definitely when 11-year-old Brennan found the Afikomen, and decided to donate $10 of his $20 prize to Project SARAH.

I can’t thank Urban Solace and everyone involved enough—Chef Matt Gordon, Scott Watkins, Jean Walcher, Steven Silverman and Sam Zien. We are so appreciative of their generosity, which will directly benefit Project SARAH clients in their transition to safety. And we’re extremely grateful for the publicity for Project SARAH in the days leading up to the seder, including Project SARAH’s very own Marni Greenberg on San Diego Living.

View photos from the event on Urban Solace’s Facebook Page by clicking here>>