CVS/pharmacy kicks off in-store fundraising to fight lung cancer in women
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy has announced an in-store fundraising campaign to help fight the No. 1 cancer killer of women: lung cancer.
Funds raised through the campaign will benefit Lung Force, a new initiative to make lung cancer in women a public health priority, drive policy change and increase research funding. From now through June 29, CVS/pharmacy customers will have the opportunity to contribute to Lung Force at the register in stores nationwide or online at cvs.com/lung with all proceeds going to support the movement. As previoulsy reported by Drug Store News, CVS Caremark is the national presenting sponsor of Lung Force.
According to the American Lung Association's inaugural Women's Lung Health Barometer, a survey of more than 1,000 American adult women that measures women's knowledge and perceptions about lung cancer, women's awareness of lung cancer's impact is low. Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer of women, yet only 1% of women cite it as a cancer that is top-of-mind. Hundreds of thousands of women are affected by lung cancer every year, and two-thirds of lung cancer cases are in those who have never smoked or have successfully quit smoking. The Barometer also revealed 78% of women are not aware that lung cancer has killed more women than breast cancer since 1987.
Through Lung Force, CVS Caremark and the American Lung Association seek to unite women against lung cancer and for lung health, and encourage them to raise their voices for change. Through nationwide efforts, Lung Force will make lung cancer a cause that people care about and act on, educate and empower patients and health care providers, and raise critical funds for lung cancer research.
"When our company announced in February that we would stop the sale of tobacco products at our 7,600 CVS/pharmacy locations, we also made a commitment to align ourselves with community partners on programs that are helping people lead tobacco-free lives," stated Helena Foulkes, president, CVS/pharmacy. "The American Lung Association shares in our purpose of helping people on their path to better health, and through our partnership and in-store fundraising campaign supporting Lung Force, we will be able to make a significant impact in educating our customers about the prevalence of lung cancer in women."
CVS Caremark colleagues will also engage in the initiative by participating in local Lung Force events across the country. Earlier this year, CVS Caremark announced its decision to remove tobacco from its more than 7,600 retail stores by Oct. 1, making it the first national retail pharmacy chain in the country to do so.
To also help support Lung Force, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jewel has unveiled a new song, "Sing On." All proceeds from Jewel's song, available on iTunes, will benefit Lung Force to further the fight against lung cancer in women.
In supporting Lung Force, Jewel joins actress and author Valerie Harper as well as entertainer and country music star Kellie Pickler, who have both been personally affected by lung cancer.