|
Seattle, WA. US Army veteran lung cancer survivor-advocate Angela Downs represented Team Draft at CenturyLink Stadium on Monday night. Angela and her son watched her hometown Seattle Seahawks defeat the visiting Minnesota Vikings. “It means the world to me that my son and I are able to attend Monday Night Football, with Chris Draft, as advocates for Lung Cancer Awareness! Participating in the Draft Family Foundation Super Bowl Challenge has been an amazing opportunity to change the face of lung cancer by raising money that goes directly to research and builds awareness in the process.”~ Angela Downs
(CNN)An Army combat veteran who is facing the fight of her life has joined forces with a former NFL player to raise lung cancer awareness and research funds. Retired Lt. Col. Angela Downs served 21 years in the Army, including a 2006 deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
One year ago this month Downs was on the receiving end of a personal bombshell when she was diagnosed with a form of lung cancer.
In between her immunotherapy treatments and radiation, Downs works with Draft’s foundation and the Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of her brothers and sisters in uniform.
“There is a disproportionate number of veterans being afflicted with lung cancer,” said Downs.
Lung cancer kills more people than prostate, colon, and breast cancer combined, according to the Lungevity Foundation, a national, lung-cancer-focused nonprofit.
Super Bowl ChallengeThe 2020 Super Bowl Challenge runs through December 30.
The fundraising effort “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,” according to the Chris Draft Family Foundation’s website.
Lung cancer survivors who raise the most money get to attend various NFL events, which provide a national stage for lung cancer awareness. The top fundraiser will also attend the Super Bowl.
On this Veterans Day, Downs says her battle with cancer isn’t being fought alone.
“My military experience definitely helped me to know that I need to take the battle day by day, and that it takes a team. No one can go it alone.”
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. Special thanks to the Seattle Seahawks, Mo Kelly, Roger Goodell, 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!
|
Awareness • Early Detection • Treatment • Research • Survivorship
