WASHINGTON – October 29, 2026 -- LUNGevity Foundation's Every Breath Forward campaign will plant 60,000 white flags on the National Mall on November 1. During Lung Cancer Awareness Month, anyone can join through a home display, a volunteer shift, or a virtual dedication.
Each flag honors two lives lost to lung cancer
Each flag represents two of the more than 120,000 people who die from lung cancer in the United States every year. Volunteers will plant the flags, and a Survivor Rally will honor survivors and call for greater awareness and research.
On November 10 at 10 a.m., LUNGevity will hold a press conference on the National Mall with policymakers, survivors, advocates, researchers, and healthcare experts. Participants will call for sustained federal research funding, expanded access to lung cancer screening and early detection, and equitable access to advances in care.
Seven more cities will host public flag installations
- Denver, Colorado, with The White Ribbon Project and CU Anschutz Cancer Center: November 1
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI): November 5
- Jackson, Mississippi, with the Mississippi Lung Cancer Roundtable: November 6
- Tampa, Florida, with Moffitt Cancer Center: November 7
- Raleigh, North Carolina, with the Lung Cancer Initiative: November 8
- Boston, Massachusetts: November 11
- San Francisco, California, with GO2 for Lung Cancer: November 14
More than 80 ALCSI chapters will also plant flags on college campuses and in communities nationwide. ALCSI Executive Director Timothy Hwang said the chapters use the displays to help people understand who may be eligible for screening and to encourage them to discuss it with family members and healthcare professionals.
Lung cancer statistics drive the call for screening
About 1 in 19 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime. More than 229,000 people in the US will be diagnosed this year, a new diagnosis every 2.3 minutes. Close to 65% of new diagnoses are among people with no tobacco exposure or only past tobacco exposure.
Lung cancer takes more lives than the next two deadliest cancers, colorectal and pancreatic, combined. Only 29.5% of people diagnosed will survive five years or more, but that rises to 65% if the cancer is caught before it spreads.
LUNGevity President and CEO Andrea Ferris said progress in early detection and treatment brings "real reason for hope."
Anyone can join from home or online
Individuals and families can plant their own Every Breath Forward displays in yards, neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. People can also make a virtual dedication in honor or memory of someone affected by lung cancer, volunteer at a participating city installation, visit a display, or share photos and stories on social media.
Boehringer Ingelheim is the Presenting Sponsor. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are Platinum Sponsors, and Amgen is the Gold Sponsor.