A Zumbathon to raise money for the UW Hospital Carbone Cancer Center’s Creating Hope Fund will be held at Platteville Middle School Saturday, Nov. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Creating Hope Fund is strictly used for lung cancer research at the University of Wisconsin.

Zumba is a fun way to exercise with dance and international music.  There will be a $10 donation at the door, with larger donations welcome.

November is national Lung Cancer Awareness month. Lung cancer kills more than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. It is the leading cause of death from all types of cancer worldwide, and the second leading cause of death in the U.S. (following only heart disease).

More than 85 percent of lung cancer patients die from the disease. One in five women and one in 12 men diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked.

About $1 in national funding is provided for research for patients diagnosed with lung cancer compared to $26 provided for breast cancer research. Research for lung cancer is vastly underfunded because of the stigma of smoking attached to the disease.

These staggering numbers make November a time to generate more attention toward increasing funds for lung cancer research.

Many famous people have died of lung cancer including Dana Reeve (Christopher Reeve’s wife), Paul Newman, Walt Disney, Donna Summer, George Harrison, Rosemary Clooney, and John Wayne.

If you, family, or friends have been affected by this disease, please help support this event. If you can’t attend send a donation to UW Carbone Cancer Center, Creating Hope Fund, 600 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53792-6164.