An Open Letter to Supporters, Friends, and Sponsors of Dancing for Joan

December 2012

Dear Friends, 

Thank you for your generous support of The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund over the years, including our annual fundraiser, Dancing for Joan.   We are sincerely grateful.  Thanks to you, we have done a lot in the fight againstt the #1 cancer killer in the world.

However, in the five years since we first went Dancing for Joan, over a million more people have been diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States alone.  Nearly 800,000 have died.  And the support and funding for lung cancer remain mere fractions of what other cancers receive.  Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, sisters and brothers, smokers and non-smokers alike all continue to be afflicted.  Much more needs to be done.

As we move into our second five years in this fight, we are announcing that we will no longer host our annual Dancing for Joan event.  This decision was not made lightly and in no way suggests a wavering in our commitment to this very important cause – a cause that will always be close to our hearts.  Rather, this decision reflects the continuing evolution of The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund.   We are not giving up and neither should you.

We have accomplished a tremendous amount in our first five years.  Because of your generosity, we have:

• allocated nearly $100,000 directly to research projects at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute.
• funded awareness campaigns - including two outdoor billboards, online advertising with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, several mass-mailings, and the daily maintenance of a web site and blog.
• sponsored four lung cancer 5K fun runs in metro Atlanta for Lung Cancer Alliance and LUNGevity.
• sponsored and supported a lung cancer support group at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta.
• secured mass media coverage in outlets such as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WCNN and WQXI radio in Atlanta, and nationally with several spots on the Nancy Grace program
• secured the very first lung cancer awareness specialty license plate in the country (Georgia).

We are very proud of these accomplishments and it could not have been done without you.

Our decision to move beyond Dancing for Joan is made with happiness at what we have done up to this point.  It is an opportunity to channel our energy into other efforts.  Moving forward, we will:

• focus our attention on getting as many lung cancer awareness license plates on as many cars in Georgia as we can.  This initiative is extremely important, both as an awareness tool and as a fundraiser.  It also serves as an inspiration and guide for 49 other states to do the same.
• support and volunteer our time and resources to other families and organizations in Atlanta, in North Georgia, and – when we can – nationally.
• continue to spread the word, educate the public, and fight the stigma via our web site, blog, and various social networking outlets.
• continue to be a proud affiliate of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and to raise money for the Addario Lung Cancer Institute through yearly fund raising campaigns via various initiatives, mass mailing campaigns, and online.

It is our hope that you will continue to support us in any way that you can so we can continue this fight.  And, if you live in Georgia, please consider letting your fellow motorists know that “Lung Cancer Matters” by purchasing a lung cancer awareness license plate at LungCancerLicensePlate.org.

Once again, we thank you for your generous support.

Sincerely,

The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund

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