The Lung Cancer Foundation of America is scheduled to hold its sixth annual “Day at the Races” Sunday, featuring a longtime television soap opera star.
The event at the Del Mar Racetrack is designed to bring awareness of lung cancer to horse racing fans.
Don Diamont, an actor on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” is scheduled to take part. The show marked its 6,000th episode four years ago by featuring real-life lung cancer survivors.
“Don’s participation in the fight against lung cancer means so much to LCFA, and particularly to the millions of people who have been deeply affected by lung cancer,” said Kim Norris, president and co-founder of LCFA. “There are, sadly, few survivors to stand up and speak out in support of research funding for lung cancer because of an overall five-year survival rate of only 17 percent.”
The LCFA said lung cancer is the most underfunded and under-researched form of the disease, but is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women. Lung cancer kills almost twice as many women as breast cancer in the U.S. and three times as many men as prostate cancer, according to data provided by the organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The annual event at the racetrack was created by lung cancer survivor Paula Friendly, widow of television producer Ed Friendly. The couple was involved with area horse racing for years, and Paula remains involved with the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
— City News Service
