Former Falcon starts cancer fundraiser for Super Bowl

Lung cancer survivor Samantha Mixon is heading to the Taste of the NFL #SuperBowl

“We are super excited to be able to go to the Taste of NFL thanks to Team Draft and all of our amazing friends, family, and even strangers that supported us. God is so good, we are beyond blessed!”

ATLANTA — Former Atlanta Falcon Chris Draft is using healthy competition and the lure of the Super Bowl to raise money fight lung cancer.

The “Team Draft Super Bowl Challenge” gives lung cancer survivors the chance to compete against one another to collect donations for the National Campaign to Change the Face of Lung Cancer–a campaign dedicated to raising public awareness about the true nature of the disease and shattering the misconception that lung cancer is just a “smoker’s disease.”

Draft lost his wife to lung cancer in December 2011.

Keasha Draft was an energetic, vibrant young woman who never smoked and was the picture of health when she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in October 2010.

A year later, on their wedding day, the two launched Team Draft, to fight lung cancer. Chris carries on the fight today.

“The real deal is anyone can get lung cancer, like my wife, who was 37 years old and healthy and never smoked,” Draft said.

Samantha Mixon of Savannah, Georgia, is one of the survivors taking part in the Super Bowl fundraising challenge.

Mixon, who is originally from Jonesboro, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in November 2012.

Mixon met Draft through her outreach efforts at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. She is a 34-year-old mother who never smoked.

As part of the Super Bowl Challenge, the lung cancer survivor, whose Team raises the most money by January 1, 2015, will represent Team Draft in Arizona during Super Bowl week.

The challenge runs through the end of the year.