Press Release

Hockey Great Bobby Nystrom to Serve As Honorary Chair for CancerCare’s 2010 Lung Cancer Walk on Nov. 7

Hockey Great Bobby Nystrom to Serve As Honorary Chair for CancerCare’s 2010 Lung Cancer Walk on Nov. 7

Nystrom shot winning goal in 1980 to snag New York Islanders’ first of four consecutive Stanley Cups; today, he’s still playing to win—for people facing lung cancer

New York, NY, October 6, 2010—More than 1,000 people are expected to lace up their sneakers for the Eighth Annual Lung Cancer Walk on Sunday, November 7 at the Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course in Woodbury, New York. The Walk benefits CancerCare’s National Lung Cancer Program, which provides free, professional counseling and other support services to people facing lung cancer.

Honorary Chair Bobby Nystrom, all-time great of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders, will be on hand to cut the starting-line ribbon and encourage walkers along the approximately 5-mile course as they raise funds and awareness for lung cancer and honor those who have been affected by the disease.

Nationwide, an estimated 222,250 new cases of lung cancer will have been diagnosed in the US during 2010. Lung cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths overall; more than 157,000 deaths this year will be attributed to the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.

More than 2,000 people on Long Island alone will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, noted Nystrom, who retired from professional hockey in 1986 and is now a successful health insurance executive in Long Island and physical fitness buff. “That’s why this event is so important,” he noted, “for pulling together our community to rally around family, friends and neighbors who need our support as they face this devastating disease.”

“Every day we are reminded of how lung cancer affects the lives of so many families,” said Win Boerckel, coordinator of CancerCare’s Lung Cancer Program, based in CancerCare’s Woodbury office in Long Island. “The Lung Cancer Walk is a powerful way to spread the word about CancerCare’s programs, while raising funds for the free support services we provide nationally to lung cancer patients and the individuals who care for them.”

The Lung Cancer Walk has grown rapidly over the past seven years, from 60 walkers in 2003 to nearly 1,000 walkers in 2009. Last year’s walkers and sponsors in Long Island raised a record $200,000 for the National Lung Cancer Program.

The remarkable growth and success of the event has led to the expansion of the Walk to the West Coast. CancerCare will host its second Lung Cancer Walk the following week, Sunday, November 14, at the Stanford Shopping Mall in Palo Alto, California.

“As a national organization, it’s our mission to provide support to people affected by cancer all across the country,” said Helen H. Miller, CEO of CancerCare. “We are very pleased to offer our supporters on the West Coast the chance to participate in this powerful and emotional event.”

Registration for the Walk is $40 for adults, $20 for students ages 13-22, and free for children 12 and under. All registered walkers will receive an official Lung Cancer Walk t-shirt. For the New York event, registration and check-in begins at 8:00 am and the opening ceremony is scheduled for 9:15 am. The Walk kicks off promptly at 9:30 am.

To form a team, volunteer, donate, or take part in the virtual walk, visit www.cancercare.org/lungcancerwalk.

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