Clean Air Challenge 2024
Contributed by Jessica Fry
More than 300 hundred bicyclists, runners, and walkers will gather in Talkeetna, Alaska for the 40th Anniversary of the Clean Air Challenge on May 11th. The lifesaving ride will benefit the American Lung Association and their mission to improve lung health and help prevent lung disease.
The Clean Air Challenge is the largest annual fundraiser for the American Lung Association, Alaska. Each year we challenge Alaskans of every age and skill level to join us as we ride our bikes and stretch our legs from the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge up the Highway toward the majestic Denali Mountains and back.
Each participant commits to raising at least $350 in fundraising, but many go far beyond that point to help continue funding for the organization’s vital lifesaving work. The more money raised the more lives we save in our community! Participants that raise over $500 will receive a night stay at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge the night of the event and participants who raise over $800 receive a two-night stay at the lodge during the weekend of the event.
It is estimated that 240 Alaskans will die from lung and bronchial cancers in 2024. The American Lung Association’s work directly touches these patients, their caregivers, and communities. Saving lives through a pioneering model of research, education and advocacy, the Lung Association focuses on defeating lung cancer, creating a tobacco-free future, championing clean air for all, and improving the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families.
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy, and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future.
For more information about the American Lung Association, which has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Platinum-Level GuideStar Member, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. To support the work of the American Lung Association, find a local event at Lung.org/events. Learn more about the Clean Air Challenge on May 11th and register at www.cleanairchallengeak.org. or contact the Alaska Office at CycleForAirAK@lung.org.
When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.