Photo Gallery (images by Meghan Bushnell)

San Francisco, CA -- As the ART U Urban Knights were co-winners of the 2011-12 PacWest Community Engagement Award, the men's soccer and women's tennis teams participated in the first official community service event of the 2012-13 academic year at the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Run/Walk in Golden Gate Park. The Urban Knights assisted in a variety of capacities; marking the 5k course, setting up booth tables, registering participants, and cheering on the runners and walkers. In fact, two of the men's soccer athletes, Runar Gudbjartsson and Jon "Jay" Eldon, put their lungs to work and completed the 5k race.


This event has close ties to the men's soccer team as one of their teammates passed away last August due to lung cancer. Over 450 people die a day of lung cancer in the United States; 19 people an hour. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer, causing more deaths than breast, prostate, colon, liver, melanoma, and kidney cancers combined. Surprisingly, 80% of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients never smoked or quit decades ago.


“The San Francisco 5k is one of our biggest events of the year and is a wonderful day full of hope for our patients and families," said Darby Anderson, Events Associate for The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. "The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is working hard every day to 'Beat Lung Cancer BIG Time' and it is events like Sundays that bring us one step closer to doing that."

“It was fun to see a range of people who were running and participating to help find a cure for lung cancer,” said women's tennis athlete Daniela Amelunge Antelo. "It feels great to help make a difference!”  


Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer 5K San Francisco Walk/Run raised $185,000 with about 1,500 participants, including 26 ART U Urban Knights. Please visit www.lungcancerfoundation.org for more information on ways that you can help beat lung cancer.