To Reach the Beach [Canceled]

Update (8/31): Sad to say…but Reach the Beach has been canceled this year. Feel free to read-on though!

If you didn’t know already, On October 11th, as long as it isn’t postponed again, I’ll be joining hundreds to a thousand others for a 100-mile+ ride from Portland, Oregon to the coastal town Pacific City for the American Lung Associations, Reach the Beach. This will be my first Reach the Beach, however, I’m joining a handful of other friends for the ride who have done it in the past. I’ve wanted to attend in the past, but things kept getting in the way, so this year, I’m going to make it happen*!

This ride supports the American Lung Association and all that they do. Now with COVID-19 on the rise, it’s more important than ever to help with the research the American Lung Association provides!

I’m participating in this years ride because I’ve had family and friends be truly impacted by the damage of smoking on their lungs. Helping those who have addictions to cigarettes is just one of the many services they provide. None of us want anyone out there to be unable to breathe! If you know anyone yourself who has dealt with breathing issues, take a look at the American Lung Associations website for resources that can help.

To have my ride provide a larger impact, I’m raising donations for the American Lung Association. So far, with the support from some friends and family, I’ve been able to raise $398 of my $600 goal (as of 7/15)! That’s so awesome!

Please, if you are able, contribute today!

Why Giving Now
Is More Important Than Ever

Anyone who breathes is at risk of contracting COVID-19—a virus that attacks the respiratory system. People are more aware of the importance of lung health than ever because When You Can’t Breathe, Nothing Else Matters®.

More than 36 million people in the U.S. suffering from lung disease are at high risk of experiencing complications from this disease. This makes the American Lung Association’s mission more relevant today than ever before.

The American Lung Association is uniquely positioned to address the needs we are facing today to defeat COVID-19 and responsibly plan for future respiratory virus pandemics. As you know, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. The Lung Association has a well-known track record of successfully guiding the nation through many public health crises that targeted the lungs.

The American Lung Association was originally founded in 1904 to address the tuberculosis epidemic, a leading cause of death in the US at the turn of the 20th century. Back then, we played a critical role in developing and funding increasingly effective approaches to prevent, detect, and treat the disease. Today, tuberculosis is largely controlled in the United States.

Since then, the American Lung Association has successfully addressed other respiratory outbreaks, including the 1918 Flu Pandemic, H1N1, MERS, and SARS. The Lung Association’s proven model of education, advocacy, and research makes us uniquely positioned to address the needs we are facing today.

Read more here: Why-I-Give.pdf

COVID-19 is hitting harder than ever, and the number of cases close to home are growing rapidly. With your support of the American Lung Association, they will provide funds for research and other programs to help those affected by COVID-19.

If you’d like to help, please sponsor my ride! Anything helps and adds up to so much more!

Thanks a million!

-Jason

*As I said above, as long as it isn’t postponed/canceled (which it was…)!