Nancy Grace to Emcee Second Annual “Dancing For Joan” Benefiting Lung Cancer Awareness

Jan. 9, 2009 - PRLog -- The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation today announced that Headline News host Nancy Grace will be the emcee at their second annual DANCING FOR JOAN fund raiser for lung cancer awareness.  Ms. Grace will join Honorary Chairman Paul Scheinberg, Chief of Staff at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, to lead this festive evening of cocktails, dinner, dancing, and silent auction.  Net proceeds to benefit The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation.

The event will be held at the Pavillion of East Cobb, 736 Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta on Saturday, February 21st, 2009 at 7pm.  DANCING FOR JOAN honors the late Joan Gaeta’s love of dancing with this call-to-action in the fight against lung cancer.  It is an exciting and fun way to honor important contributors in the crusade against the disease, to educate guests, and to raise the funds needed for awareness campaigns, research, and support.  

Last year’s inaugural event rose over $40,000 and served as a coming-out party for the foundation.  These funds enabled the sponsorship of Saint Joseph’s Hospital’s Fourth Annual Atlanta Lung Cancer Awareness Run and Walk and the education of the public in and around North Georgia at community events in Atlanta, Blairsville, Canton, Smyrna, and Haysville, NC.   The foundation also sponsors a monthly lung cancer support group at Saint Joseph’s Hospital.  Additionally, the foundation is accruing funds to fund one or more lung cancer research projects in 2009.

More information about last year’s event can be found online at WWW.DANCINGFORJOAN.ORG.  Tickets and sponsorship packages may also be purchased here.

LUNG CANCER FACTS

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the Unite States - 1 in every 3 cancer deaths.
It kills more people than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney, and melanoma cancers combined.
It kills more than three times as many men as prostate cancer.
It kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer.
It kills an average of 439 people per day in the United States alone.
You do not have to smoke to get lung cancer.
Over 60% of new cases are diagnosed in never-smokers or former smokers who quit decades ago.
1 in 5 women diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked.
The five year survival rate of lung cancer is only 15% - the same as it was over 35 years ago.
Federal research funding per cancer death, 2007:  Breast - $24,000, Prostate - $12,000, Lung - $1,400.

ABOUT THE JOAN GAETA LUNG CANCER FOUNDATION

Established in the fall of 2007, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation was created by her husband and children to raise awareness of the disease, to educate the public, and to be an advocate for research.  We also strive to eliminate the stigma of lung cancer and support survivors and their loved ones in our local community.

A life long non-smoker, Joan was a devoted wife, teacher, and mother of five. Diagnosed in early 2004, she fought a three and a half year battle before succumbing to the cancer in July of 2007.

During that time, Joan stressed the need for greater awareness of lung cancer (the number one cancer killer in the world), its low survival rate, and its tragic lack of research funds. She was most passionate about eliminating the stigma of the disease, since lung cancer also strikes non-smokers at a high rate.

ABOUT NANCY GRACE

Nancy Grace is television's only justice themed/interview/debate show, designed for those interested in the breaking crime news of the day. Grace challenges guests on the most high-profile legal issues of the day by drawing on her unique perspective as a former violent crimes prosecutor and as a crime victim herself. Nancy Grace provides viewers with a clear understanding of not only the top crime stories, but also the cases often overlooked.

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The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation was created to raise awareness, to educate the public, and to be an advocate for research. We also strive to eliminate the stigma of lung cancer and support survivors and their loved ones in our local community.