Take a Breath of Fresh Air this February

Stairclimbing team to raise money for American Lung Association in honor of loved one

Boston, MA (December 16, 2011)—

When Kathleen Czachor was approached about the Race Up Boston Place event, she was asked if she would be interested in a fitness challenge. Immediately, she thought about her niece Emily, who suffers from a lung disease called pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries. These arteries carry blood from the heart to the lungs to pick up oxygen. Because of the increased pressure, the heart is forced to work harder to push blood into the lungs, and therefore there is significant strain on the heart. The disease can lead to heart failure.

Kathleen started her own team she named Breath of Fresh Air. On her fundraising page, she states, “My goal is to have raised awareness about PH and have educated more people about this lesser known condition.” Although she had never done an event like the stairclimb before, Kathleen ended up as the second highest personal fundraiser - with $4,410 in donations - among more than 1,000 other event participants.

The team captain credits the generosity of friends, family and co-workers for her fundraising successes. “I asked for a five dollar minimum, and everyone was giving more,” says Kathleen. She directed them to her fundraising page through the American Lung Association’s website, by word-of-mouth and by emailing potential donors.

In 2012, Kathleen hopes to climb with an even bigger team. In fact, thirteen people have already registered to tackle the 789 stairs of One Boston Place in the Mellon Financial Center, all in support of Emily. To recruit for her team, Kathleen asks people in her life that she knows are active, and have been a part of a charity athletic event before. And when that is not enough, she tells them about her niece.

The Race Up Boston Place stairclimb event hopes to raise $350,000 through the generosity of climbers, donors, and sponsors. All proceeds benefit lung disease research, advocacy and programs as well as smokefree and clean air initiatives in Massachusetts. Climbers are responsible for a $35 registration fee and a $100 fundraising minimum. Visit www.climbofyourlife.org for more information.

The American Lung Association of New England is part of the American Lung Association, the oldest voluntary health organization in the U.S. Established in 1904 to combat tuberculosis, our mission today is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. The focus is on air quality, asthma, tobacco control, and all lung disease. ALANE serves CT, MA, ME, NH, RI and VT.

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