This Lung Month we make breathing matter!

Ottawa, ON - November is Lung Month and this year, the Lung Association is celebrating with a new brand and a challenge for all Canadians. Breathing is at the core of everything the Lung Association does – whether it is research, advocacy or education. And that is what inspires this year’s events.

“Every day we breathe an average of 22,000 times. Most of us never stop to think about our breath. Breathing is essential, and it is important to appreciate each and every breath you take,” says Debra Lynkowski, CEO of The Canadian Lung Association.

“It’s what powers your body, your brain, your life. This simple action has complex consequences and it is why it is the focus of everything The Lung Association does.”

This Lung Month, the Lung Association is asking all Canadians to Take a Breather and start a movement to make each breath matter. The Association’s innovative, national research campaign, Breathing as One, will inspire conversation about the importance of breathing and help fund life-saving respiratory research that will put breathing front and centre.

“Canada has some of the best respiratory researchers in the world,” says Dr. Brian Graham, President and CEO of the Lung Association, Saskatchewan “yet lung research is grossly underfunded in Canada. But isn’t giving breath back into someone’s lungs something so vital that we cannot afford to ignore it?”

This November, The Lung Association is challenging all Canadians to truly appreciate each and every breath and share this appreciation with others, because it is this recognition that will drive the vital research that will help all Canadians breathe easier.

There are many ways to get involved:

• Participate in #TakeABreather and share a photo of yourself and your favourite place to breathe
• Visit the Lung Association website or Facebook page and learn how to protect your lungs and your breath
• Find out where your generous donations have made a difference
• Learn about the National Respiratory Research Strategy, a new and innovative approach to funding that will create breathing breakthroughs  
• Donate to Breathing as One - The Campaign for Lung Research, so we can look to a future where all Canadians can breathe with ease

For more information about this year’s Breathing as One Campaign, visit www.breathingasone.ca or lung.ca.

About The Lung Association:

Our reason for being can really be summed up in one word: Breathe. It’s what unites us. It’s what inspires us. And it’s what keeps us pushing ahead— whether it’s searching for cures to lung diseases, teaching kids about the dangers of tobacco, or fighting for clean air. The Lung Association is the leading organization in Canada working to promote lung health and prevent and manage lung disease. We do this by funding vital research, pushing for improved treatments, going to bat for smarter policies, and helping patients manage their health.

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Brian L. Graham                                           Sharon Kremeniuk

President and CEO                                       Vice President of Development

The Lung Association, Saskatchewan       The Lung Association, Saskatchewan

brian.graham@sk.lung.ca                            sharon.kremeniuk@sk.lung.ca

1-888-566-5864                                            (306) 352-2004