What can YOU do with YOUR Lungs?

Kelcey Harrison, Member of Jill's Legacy® is Running Across the Country to Beat Lung Cancer in THE GREAT LUNG RUN

SAN FRANCISCO, July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

"We will go to the moon. We will go to the moon and do other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard."
– John F. Kennedy

"It is my belief that Kelcey is going to bring much needed attention to this disease not only for Jill but for ALL Lung Cancer patients. For far too long there has been little to no funding for this disease and it is the biggest cancer on the planet. There are people everywhere that have been waiting to be counted and protected, and cared for and most importantly CURED. Maybe this is the beginning. Make no mistake that it is possible for one person to change the world... Kelcey, bless you for wanting to even attempt such a huge and magnanimous endeavor."
–Bonnie J. Addario, Founder and 8-year Lung Cancer Survivor

"Dream of great things and always believe that what you want is attainable."
– Jillian Costello (December 1, 1987-June 24, 2010)

On July 30, 2012, 24-year-old Kelcey Harrison is running over 3,500 miles across the USA to spread awareness and raise money to help beat the cancer that took her friend Jillian Costello's life just weeks after their college graduations. The money she raises in this trek from New York City to San Francisco will go to the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, and its unstoppable young people's movement – Jill's Legacy® for Lung Cancer research.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120711/DC38443)

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110630/DC28681LOGO-b)

"At first Kelcey came to me and said, 'I'm going to run across the country in honor of Jill, my dear childhood friend, and to really raise awareness that ANYONE CAN GET LUNG CANCER," said Darby Anderson, Director of Jill's Legacy, to PenTV http://www.broadcause.com/The-Great-Lung-Run in a recent interview. "And I thought, you're crazy. Okay. Then she came back to me about a month ago and said, 'I'm doing it. I've got a Web site, www.thegreatlungrun.com and I'm going to raise awareness for Lung Cancer by doing something crazy with my lungs!"

What can YOU do with Your Lungs? With just one lung, Bonnie J. Addario launched two foundations and with your help has raised over nine million for Lung Cancer research. So, for the next three months while Kelcey runs from New York City to San Francisco we are calling all Lung Cancer patients, families, advocates and friends to join us and let us know what YOU can do with YOUR lungs?

Please watch our "What can you do with your lungs?" video at https://vimeo.com/45457761 featuring K.C. Oakley from the U.S. Ski Team, Brett Jackson from the Chicago Cubs, Ballet Dancer Jennifer Stahl, former NFL players Hank Baskett and Chris Draft, the band Radical Something and Kelcey Harrison as she prepares for her Great Lung Run. All stars of the video are exhibiting what they can do with their lungs. The video ends with two young Lung Cancer survivors, Gabby Wilson and Taylor Bell who use their lungs to live. We'll be adding YOUR stories and ideas as you send them in, to continue inspiring viewers about what they can do with their lungs and raise awareness that IF YOU HAVE LUNGS, YOU CAN GET LUNG CANCER.

"We want to inspire other people to really do something not necessarily as BIG as what Kelcey's doing, but we want everybody to start rising up so we can take Lung Cancer down," said Darby. "It's way too long for Lung Cancer to be in the shadows when, after all, it's the #1 cancer killer."

Harrison, a San Francisco native, and Harvard graduate now leaving her job in New York City in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to run across the country to BEAT Lung Cancer says she felt compelled to do something following the unfair stigma and fate dealt to her close friend and all Lung Cancer patients.

"This run is, hopefully, my way of changing our ideas about Lung Cancer and to make a positive impact on research and awareness."

A big WELCOME HOME party and fundraiser will be hosted by the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, its donors and sponsors, in San Francisco. Date, of course, and location, is to be determined—sometime in November. Stay tuned.

For complete details on the adventure, visit www.thegreatlungrun.com. To donate or sponsor The Great Lung Run, go to http://www.crowdrise.com/thegreatlungrun/fundraiser/Jillslegacy or contact Darby Anderson at [email protected] or 949.293.2093. Sponsorships available from $10.00‐$250,000. All proceeds will go to Young Investigator Lung Cancer Research through the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation.

For press inquiries and/or to send in your videos, contact Sheila Von Driska, Communications, at 415.357.1278 or [email protected]

To host Kelcey in your town, contact Kelcey Harrison by July 20th at 415.305.5974 or [email protected]

About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
BJALCF is one of the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, industry partners, individuals, survivors, and their families to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established on March 6, 2006 as a 501c(3) non-profit organization and has raised over nine million dollars for Lung Cancer research. www.lungcancerfoundation.org

About Jillian Costello and Jill's Legacy
Jillian Costello was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer in June 2009, just one week after competing in the NCAA Division 1 Rowing Championships her junior year at UC Berkeley. Jill never smoked and had no family history of Lung Cancer. She underwent 20 rounds of chemotherapy, 14 days of radiation, and three biopsies. Throughout her battle, she remained active in her Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, earned a B.A. in political economy and coxed the Cal Varsity Women's Crew to a PAC-10 title and a second place national finish. Only three weeks later, Lung Cancer took Jill from this world. She was 22-years-young.

By March 2011, Jill's Legacy was formed as an Advisory Board to the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation made up of promising young professionals who have each been personally touched by Lung Cancer. The mission is simple: to be the driving force in significantly increasing the stagnant 15.5% survival rate of the world's Number 1 Cancer Killer–Lung Cancer.

SOURCE Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation