Survivor at Every Stadium: Detroit Lions

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Detroit, MI. Lung cancer survivor-advocate Matt Riga represented Team Draft at Ford Field on Sunday afternoon. Matt and his family watched the Detroit Lions lose a close game to the Atlanta Falcons with Team Draft co-founder and Atlanta Falcons Legend, Chris Draft.

Matt was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer last year as a 34 year old non-smoker. Matt is a rock star of a fighter and will not stop! We are so grateful for the support we have around us and are so proud to now be lung cancer advocates to help find a cure to this disease!

If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. 1 in 15 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetimes. More people die of this disease each year over colon, breast and prostate cancer combined, yet it is seriously underfunded because of the stigma. Thankfully there are so many breakthroughs and so much hope on the horizon, but these ideas need to be funded! ~ The Riga Family

In 2012, we, Team Draft, launched our inaugural 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.

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