Hundreds of Newark residents and surrounding communities are expected to attend the American Lung Associations Catching Our Breath Asthma Awareness Day event this weekend. The event includes a memorial walk to be held in honor of Shuaib Wright, Newark resident and Eagle Academy student who was lost to asthma. The event will also pay tribute to the estimated 831,970 Essex County residents (of which 15,834 are youth ages 17 and under) who live with asthma every day.
Registration is free. Register HERE.
This free community event will encourage attendees to play an active role in learning about lung health and the impact of asthma and air quality while meeting some of the state’s top health advocates. Together with community partners, University Hospital, Clara Maas Medical Center, Right2Breathe, Screen NJ, Newark Department of Health and others, the American Lung Association will provide interactive education activities focused on asthma, e-cigarette prevention and cessation, nutrition and screening.
“I am honoring Shuib’s memory and fighting for others who live with asthma by participating in this event and helping to raise awareness on how deadly asthma can be. I hope to help educate parents on the importance of taking the diagnosis seriously and to encourage the community to become better advocates for their own lung health. The air quality in our state makes us a more vulnerable population – especially for those fighting lung disease. I want to help others have more control of their lung health through awareness and education,” says Wright.
Today, more 26 million Americans have Asthma and more than 164,247 New Jersey youth live with Asthma. Asthma causes millions of lost school and work days every year and is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children. Climate change, air pollution and extreme weather conditions can increase the risk of asthma episodes. The more we work together and learn about asthma, the better you and your loves ones can manage living with this chronic lung disease.
News anchor Rick Holmes will help lead the morning’s activities, complete with games and musical entertainment provided by Philadelphia’s No Puff Daddy and the Special EFX Dancers who will perform song and dance with lung disease prevention and management themes. Participants who complete the activities will receive reduced admission to Turtle Back Zoo, compliments of Essex County Executive’s Office.
