Friday, March 21, 2008

1st Annual "Dancing for Joan" Raises $40,000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Joe Gaeta TELEPHONE: 404-435-7376 E-MAIL: joegaeta@joegaeta.com
THE FIRST ANNUAL "DANCING FOR JOAN" EVENT RAISES $40,000 First-Time Event at the Pavilion at East Cobb Brings Together over 200 People to Help End Lung Cancer
Atlanta, GA (March 21, 2008) The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation today announced that the organization raised $40,000 at its first annual gala event on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008. Hours of dancing, dining, and silent auction were the order of evening - along with some very important information about lung cancer. The event, dubbed Dancing for Joan, served as a coming out party for the foundation and raised funds for lung cancer awareness, advocacy, and research. Established in the fall of 2007, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation was created by her husband and children to raise awareness of the disease, educate the public, and raise research money to find a cure. A life long non-smoker, Joan Gaeta was a devoted wife, teacher, and mother of five. Diagnosed in early 2004, she fought a three and a half year battle before succumbing to the cancer in July of 2007. During that time, Joan stressed the need for greater awareness of lung cancer, its low survival rate, and its tragic lack of research funds. She was most passionate about eliminating the stigma of the disease, since lung cancer also strikes non-smokers at a high rate. The event was emceed by Deborah Morosini, sister of the late Dana Reeve and a high-profile advocate in the battle against lung cancer. Bonnie Addario of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation in San Francisco was a very special guest speaker at the event, along with Honorary Chairman Paul Scheinberg, Chief of Staff at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta. Honored with the First Annual Hummingbird Award for Perseverance were Ed and Linda Levitt of the Lung Cancer Alliance – Georgia for all their hard work on advancing the cause in the state of Georgia. The second annual Dancing for Joan is slated for February 21st, 2009 and hopes to raise even more money to help eradicate lung cancer. Important facts about lung cancer: Even if you have never smoked, you can get lung cancer. 60% of new cases are now diagnosed in non-smokers and former smokers. Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer of both men and women. Every three minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease. It kills more people each year than breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, melanoma, and kidney cancer combined. It surpassed breast cancer of the #1 killer of women in 1987. The five year survival rate for lung cancer is still only 15% - the same as it was over 35 years ago. By contrast, breast cancer now has a five year survival rate of well over 85% and prostate cancer has over a 99% survival rate.
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If you would like more information about The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation and this annual event - or to schedule and interview with Joe Gaeta - please call 404-435-7376 or send an e-mail to joegaeta@joegaeta.com. You may also visit www.forjoan.org.

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