PRESS
RELEASE
310.450.8338, ext. 229 30 JUL 2008
Columbus, OH — July 29th — Santa Monica resident and teacher, Jeffrey Schwartz,
was recently awarded the 2008 LIVESTRONG Award by the Lance Armstrong
Foundation (LAF) for the extraordinary work he has done to create a
cancer support network and promote cancer awareness and advocacy amongst local
middle school students. Schwartz, the second recipient of this award, was
personally honored and acknowledged by Lance Armstrong at the 2nd
LIVESTRONG Summit, which was held on July 24th-July 27th
in Columbus, OH, and was attended by one thousand delegates from across from around the world.
One year after his own battle with testicular cancer in
2003, Mr. Schwartz moved to Santa Monica to teach 8th grade U.S.
History at Lincoln Middle School in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School
District. After attending the first LIVESTRONG Summit in Austin, TX, in
2006, Mr. Schwartz left empowered and inspired to impact his local community
and to join the fight against cancer.
“Over 560,000 people die of cancer every year. One in
two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their
lifetime. This disease affects all of us, whether we are a patient, a
family member, a caregiver, or a friend. As a survivor, I quickly
realized that many students and faculty members were looking for support and a
way to become involved in the cancer community,” said Schwartz.
Two years ago, with the support of the LAF, it was at
Lincoln Middle School that Schwartz developed Kids LIVESTRONG, a support group
and discussion forum for students and faculty members affected by cancer.
Since then, Mr. Schwartz and his students have raised several hundred dollars
for the LAF and helped to distribute informational materials and cancer related
resources to approximately 3,000 people. Accordingly, his group has made major
strides towards helping to make cancer a local and a national priority by
raising awareness about cancer, the importance of early detection, effective
treatment options, and survivor care, in addition to the need for increased
research and funding. The LAF hopes that Schwartz's middle school model can be
spread to other school across the country.
According to Lance Armstrong, “We felt that the things that they had done, the programs that were enacted, and the passion that he took back to his community made him [Jeffrey Schwartz] worthy of the LIVESTRONG Award.”
For more information on Jeffrey Schwartz and the Kids
LIVESTRONG program, visit:
For more information on the Summit, visit:
For video footage of the Summit and the Awards Ceremony,
please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boQpY9gIWn0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKurvRxFABc
About the Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) unites people through
programs and experiences to empower cancer survivors to live life on their own
terms and to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. The LAF
focuses on cancer prevention, access to screening and care, research and
quality of life for cancer survivors. Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and
champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the LAF has raised more than $250 million for
the fight against cancer. Join 60 million LIVESTRONG wristband wearers and help
make cancer a national priority. Unite and fight cancer at LIVESTRONG.org.
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SANTA
MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
1651 16TH
Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
ph:
310.450.8338; fax: 310.581.1138
www.smmusd.org