CVS/pharmacy's campaign for ALA's 'Lung Force' initiative launches at Fenway Park
After throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park before the April 29 Boston Red Sox/Toronto Blue Jays game, Eileen Howard Boone, SVP of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy at CVS Health, and Framingham State University senior Jillian Flaherty get a hug from Boston Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster. (Photo courtesy of Constance Brown Photography)
WOONSOCKET, R.I. — For the second year in a row, CVS Health is teaming up with the American Lung Association to help beat lung cancer with a national in-store fundraising campaign to support Lung Force — an initiative that encourages people to stand together against lung cancer, the No. 1 cancer killer of women and men.
To help kickoff the campaign — which will encourage customers to donate $1 or $3 at CVS/pharmacy locations nationwide from May 3 through May 23 — Quincy, Mass. resident Jillian Flaherty took the field Wednesday at Fenway Park to throw out the first pitch and inspire fans to donate to Lung Force.
Customers can contribute to Lung Force at the register at CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide or online at cvs.com/lung, with all proceeds supporting lung cancer education and critical research that will lead to better treatment options and improved methods of early detection.
Flaherty, a senior at Framingham State University, lost her 52-year-old mother Brenda Villa to lung cancer in 2012. By throwing out the first pitch prior to the Boston Red Sox/Toronto Blue Jays game, she will show her support for the campaign while encouraging fans to stand together against lung cancer.
Flaherty, who has described her mother as “my best friend and my everything” – is an advocate against smoking and a “Lung Force Hero.” Nearly a year after her mother passed away, Flaherty’s aunt – her mother’s sister and a guidance counselor at Chariho High School in R.I. – asked if she would speak at a town meeting focused on banning smoking at the town’s public parks and beaches. This experience inspired her to film her story with the aim of sharing it with schools, health centers and community members, and to conduct research, which led her to the Lung Force website. Flaherty soon joined the Lung Force campaign as part of her lifelong mission to advocate in the fight against lung cancer.
“We are so appreciative of Jillian for sharing such a personal story and are thrilled to support Lung Force for the second consecutive year with our in-store fundraising campaign,” stated Eileen Howard Boone, SVP of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy at CVS Health, who will join Flaherty on the pitcher’s mound. “Education and awareness will help raise much-needed dollars for research to improve treatment options for so many people living with lung cancer. Advocates like Jillian are crucial in the fight to beat lung cancer, and their support will help save the lives of thousands of people.”
The campaign aligns with CVS Health’s purpose of helping people on their path to better health and its commitment to help people lead tobacco-free lives. Last year, the company stopped selling tobacco products in its more than 7,800 retail stores, making CVS/pharmacy the first national retail pharmacy chain to take this step. As the national presenting sponsor of Lung Force, CVS Health will help support Lung Force’s mission to drive policy change and increase funding.
According to the American Lung Association’s inaugural Women’s Lung Health Barometer, a survey of more than 1,000 American women that measures women’s knowledge and perceptions about lung cancer, awareness of lung cancer’s impact is extremely 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. The Barometer also revealed 78% of women are not aware that lung cancer has killed more women than breast cancer since 1987.