Billy Ray Cyrus and Patty Loveless Call on Americans to 'Tune Up For COPD' in New Songwriting Competition

RIDGEFIELD, Conn., Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The DRIVE4COPD national public health initiative today announced that it is partnering with the Country Music Association (CMA) to launch the Tune Up For COPD Songwriting Competition, featuring country music stars Billy Ray Cyrus and Patty Loveless. The competition challenges Americans to create a new DRIVE4COPD song to help raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Last year, Loveless wrote the campaign anthem, 'Drive,' in honor of her sister Dottie, who died of COPD when she was only 48 years old.

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In line with the DRIVE4COPD mission, Tune Up for COPD asks amateur songwriters to write a song with a motivational message that encourages people to be proactive in taking control of their lives and be healthy. The winner will have the opportunity to perform his or her song live at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville in June 2011. In addition, fans can log onto DRIVE4COPD.COM to view and vote on entries. A "fan favorite" song, determined by the highest number of online votes, will be showcased online.

"I learned at an early age from my grandfather, who was a pastor, both the impact COPD symptoms have on one's life and the power of a person's voice. And I've taken those lessons with me throughout the years," said Cyrus, the newest celebrity to become a DRIVE4COPD Ambassador. "I know music motivates people to take action, and that's why I'm asking America to help us find the next great song to drive awareness of COPD."

Tune Up for COPD contestants can upload videos and lyrics sheets before April 15. A winning entry will be chosen by a panel of impartial judges including Cyrus, Loveless, industry experts and members of DRIVE4COPD partnering organizations like the American Association for Respiratory Care, Country Music Association, COPD Alliance, COPD Foundation, NASCAR® and U.S. COPD Coalition. The prize includes a 3-day/2-night trip for the winner and a guest to attend the 2011 CMA Music Fest and perform his/her winning song. For complete competition rules and information, visit DRIVE4COPD.COM.

COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema or both, is a progressive disease that makes it harder and harder to breathe. It kills more people every year than breast cancer and diabetes combined. Of the top 10 leading causes of death, it's the only one on the rise.

"It's overwhelming to realize that half of the 24 million Americans who may have COPD don't know it," said Brian Carlin, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Drexel University School of Medicine. "The first step in getting the help you may need is to find out if you are at risk."

DRIVE4COPD encourages those aged 35 or older to log onto DRIVE4COPD.COM to take a brief, five-question screener to see if they might be at risk for COPD. If the screener indicates risk, results can be printed and brought to a healthcare professional to discuss.  

About DRIVE4COPD

Launched in February 2010 by founding partner Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., DRIVE4COPD is a landmark public health movement embraced by leading health, business, entertainment and sports organizations that are aimed at driving fundamental change in COPD awareness and management in this country. The unified efforts of the DRIVE4COPD network of organizations help people identify symptoms of COPD, take action to see if they may be at risk for the disease, and talk to their healthcare provider. The campaign is driven by a powerful coalition of organizations including the American Association for Respiratory Care, Country Music Association, COPD Alliance, COPD Foundation and the U.S. COPD Coalition.  DRIVE4COPD is the Official Health Initiative of NASCAR®.

DRIVE4COPD Celebrity Ambassadors** include Emmy-nominated actor Jim Belushi, multi-platinum recording artist and television star Billy Ray Cyrus, Olympic Gold Medalist Bruce Jenner, Grammy Award-winning country music star Patty Loveless, Go Daddy and NASCAR Nationwide Series™ Driver Danica Patrick, and Pro Football great Michael Strahan. Each has lost a loved one to COPD and has seen first-hand the impact of the disease.

This initiative aims to help millions of people affected by COPD by focusing national attention on this common and debilitating disease.

**The DRIVE4COPD Celebrity Ambassadors are paid spokespeople of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

About COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – also known as chronic bronchitis and emphysema – makes it harder to breathe because less air is able to flow in and out of the lungs.

As many as 24 million Americans may have COPD – even those who haven't smoked in years – and half of them remain undiagnosed. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. It kills one person every four minutes and more people each year than breast cancer and diabetes combined.

Common symptoms of COPD include coughing, with or without mucus, or shortness of breath. These symptoms are often confused with normal signs of aging. As COPD progresses, symptoms tend to get worse and more damage occurs in the lungs. Breathing gradually becomes more difficult until people with COPD feel like they are inhaling and exhaling through a small straw.

DRIVE4COPD Partnering Organizations

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the founding sponsor of the campaign, has joined forces with a cross-section of organizations to raise the profile of COPD in America:

American Association for Respiratory Care

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) is the leading national and international professional association for respiratory care. The AARC encourages and promotes professional excellence, advances the science and practice of respiratory care, and serves as an advocate for patients and their families, the public, the profession and the respiratory therapist. To learn more about the AARC visit the website at www.aarc.org or visit our consumer website www.yourlunghealth.org.

Country Music Association

More than 6,000 music industry professionals and companies around the globe are members of the Country Music Association. Formed in 1958 as the first trade association for a single genre of music, the organization's objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry while advancing the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA's strategic imperatives - CMA Music Festival and the CMA Awards. For information about CMA visit www.CMAworld.com.

COPD Alliance

The COPD Alliance was formed to provide primary care clinicians with timely information, tools and support to facilitate the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of COPD. We are composed of multidisciplinary societies and corporations whose commitment is to help primary care clinicians improve their patients' quality of life through early diagnosis and management of COPD.

COPD Foundation

The COPD Foundation is a not-for-profit organization created in 2004, and has become the COPD community's forefront organization, driven by the individuals affected by COPD, that has addressed educational, research and advocacy issues that concern the community in order to improve the quality of life for the 24 million Americans affected by COPD. For more information about the COPD Foundation and its programs, call the C.O.P.D. Information Line at 1-866-316-COPD (2673) or visit the website at www.copdfoundation.org.

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America's premier sports. NASCAR sanctioned races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and 20 languages. NASCAR® fans are the most brand-loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

U.S. COPD COALITION

Founded in 2001, the U.S. COPD Coalition is a nonprofit organization that brings together patient foundations and organizations, health professional organizations, individuals, and government agencies in the true definition of a coalition. These organizations work together in a unified manner to promote the interests of individuals affected by COPD, their family members, physicians, and scientists. The goal of the member/partners of the Coalition is to improve COPD patient needs with a keen eye to the future.

About Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation (Ridgefield, CT) and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 142 affiliates in 50 countries and more than 41,500 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2009, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of US $17.7 billion (12.7 billion euro) while spending 21% of net sales in its largest business segment, Prescription Medicines, on research and development.

For more information, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. The NASCAR Nationwide Series™ word mark use used under license by NASCAR, Inc., and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

©2011 Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All rights reserved.

DRIVE4COPD is a trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.