Survivor at Every Stadium: Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati, OH. University of Cincinnati lung cancer survivor Tim Kimmel, and his wife Christa, will represent Team Draft at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. Tim and his group will watch the Bengals take on the Denver Broncos.

Tim turned 37 last month. He has never smoked.

So it came as a shock when he was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer.

The Tri-State has one of the highest lung cancer rates in the U.S. because it’s one of the heaviest smoking areas in the country, according to Dr. John Morris. But people who have never had a cigarette make up a growing percentage of lung cancer diagnoses. 

Between 10 and 15 percent of lung cancer diagnoses are in people who never smoked. Radon gas and pollution are two contributors.

“I think there’s a sense that most people with lung cancer are smokers, so they did it to themselves, which is very unfair because we’re seeing more and more lung cancer in non-smokers,” Morris said.

Morris is the physician Tim chose to guide him through his battle with cancer.

“He offered hope,” Tim said. “He offered a chance of treatment at the time that was very new.”

It was a combination of an immunotherapy drug and chemotherapy.

“It has made a dramatic difference,” Morris said. “He was very symptomatic when I first saw him. He’s minimally symptomatic now.” Read more…More non-smokers being diagnosed with lung cancer by WCPO Cincinnati -Kristyn Hartman

In 2012, we launched our inaugural Team Draft Survivor Series initiative on CNN during a nationally-televised prime time special focusing on lung cancer and our National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer. Our Survivor at Every Stadium, leverages our connections with the NFL, its teams and players with our relationships with many of the top cancer centers in the country. As a part of our International Campaign, the games allow us to celebrate our survivors, raise awareness, and give hope to those battling the disease, as well as shine a light on the important work being done at cancer research and treatment centers around the country.

Team Draft’s goals are to create a unique experience for participating survivors and to raise awareness on a local, national, and international level by using each game and each survivor’s story to weave a broader narrative about the state of cancer and the hope that now exists for those battling the disease.

Team Draft’s fifth annual Lung Cancer Survivors Super Bowl Challenge kicked off on November 1, 2018. This unique fund raising challenge gives lung cancer survivors the opportunity to raise funds for public awareness and cutting-edge research that is giving new hope to those battling this often misunderstood disease. The top three fundraisers, announced on December 31, 2018, will earn trips to Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta, GA, the 2019 NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando, FL and the Taste of the NFL in Atlanta, GA. The survivors have an opportunity to share their powerful stories with key individuals with influence from across the country. #RepYourCity #RepYourCancerCenter #RepYourLCOrganization 

**The lung cancer survivors that raise over $5,000 will be able to designated a beneficiary (Cancer Center or LC Organization) that will receive 80% of their raised funds (-fees) and the remaining 20% will support Team Draft’s mission to change the face of lung cancer.

Special thanks to the Kristyn Hartman, Univesity of Cincinnati Cancer Center, Cincinnati Bengals, Keith Singer, Catch it in Time, the NFL and all of our Team Draft supporters for helping make this event possible.

Donate now to Support the National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer!