Mickey Anderson was taking a big leap of faith when he left a stable career to join CVS Health in 2014. But he knew that he had made the right choice when his first task as a CVS Health Region Director in California was to help remove all tobacco from his stores' shelves. "I will never forget that moment," said Mickey. "I can still see all of those boxes of cigarettes being loaded into the truck and sending them back to the warehouse."
Mickey knew how much of a financial risk it was for the company to make the dramatic decision to be the first retailer to completely remove all tobacco products. "It just cemented my commitment to work for a company that puts the well being of their customers over profits," said Mickey.
2014 was also the year that CVS Health became the national presenting sponsor of LUNG FORCE, the American Lung Association's initiative to combat the #1 cancer killer – lung cancer. Part of that support included an in-store fundraising campaign that would allow CVS Pharmacy customers to donate a dollar or more when they checked out at the register. Mickey wanted his stores to do their part in supporting the initiative, and his region raised the most money for LUNG FORCE for several years in a row.
But Mickey's support didn't stop there. He participated in his community's LUNG FORCE – forming a team of CVS Health employees and raising funds outside of the in-store fundraising campaign. "I knew that we had to take the great momentum we were seeing nationally, and make sure that we extended that support in the communities we serve," said Mickey. "This disease affects every one of us and we need to support it at all levels." In addition to participating in the LUNG FORCE Walk every year, he also serves as on the American Lung Association's Local Leadership Board in California.
As Mickey leads his crusade in Los Angeles, Adrina Meola has been doing her part on the opposite coast. Adrina has worked for CVS Health in Florida for over 12 years, working her way up from a cashier to a shift supervisor, and during the LUNG FORCE fundraising campaign at CVS Pharmacy, her commitment to the company became a bit more personal. Her mother-in-law passed away from lung cancer and the experience empowered Adrina's husband to quit smoking. "She had such a strong personality and energy, and losing her was a true loss to my husband's family," said Adrina. "But she is our driving force behind our involvement in LUNG FORCE."
Encouraged by the CVS Pharmacy fundraising campaign, Adrina also formed a LUNG FORCE Walk team – encouraging her coworkers to join her team and raise funds for lung cancer research, education and prevention. She quickly became a LUNG FORCE Walk Committee Member in her community, and her sons accompany her to each event. "While they won't have the opportunity to meet their grandmother, they will know her presence and help create the next tobacco-free generation."
Adrina's mother was recently diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), further driving her commitment to the cause. "Lung disease affects all of us – whether we are personally diagnosed with asthma, COPD or lung cancer, or know someone living with a lung disease," said Adrina.
This year's CVS Pharmacy fundraising campaign for LUNG FORCE is May 5 – 25. Customers can donate a dollar or more when they check out at the register to support lung cancer awareness, education and research. To support the campaign, the American Lung Association is sharing a 30 percent discount on Freedom From Smoking Plus – an online quit smoking program. Visit Lung.org/CVS to access the discount and learn more about CVS Health in-store campaign.
Blog last updated: June 7, 2024
