Thursday, October 1, 2026
The American Lung Association’s New York chapter hosted its 3rd annual Lung Force Walk Long Island on Oct. 25 at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, uniting hundreds of participants in the fight against lung cancer and chronic diseases.
The ALA is a nationwide charity that focuses on preventing respiratory ailments and supporting both patients and researchers during the ongoing battle against cancer.
This year’s fundraiser collected $142,000 to support lifesaving lung cancer research, early detection programs, and public awareness initiatives, coming close to its $150,000 goal.
Lungforce Walk Committee Chair Nicole Sturiano championed the event, motivated by how lung health issues affected her family. In 2015, Sturiano’s sister, Jeanine Pucci, died after a long battle with lung cancer. Now, Sturiano and her family walk every year under a team
“Me and my family, we keep the team going, and we’ve been involved ever since,” she said. “It’s keeping my sister’s spirit alive.
“She was battling stage four lung cancer, and she took the time and made it her mission to be involved and bring awareness to lung cancer and the need for research and new drugs and programs, all while going through treatment herself. So, if she can do it, I’m going to continue doing that.”
According to the ALA, someone is diagnosed with a lung disease about every two minutes. Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States, even after the national survival rate improved by more than 44 percent over the past decade.
This year’s walk was sponsored by Catholic Health as well as radio partners 106.1 BLI and WBAB 102.3. Two physicians from Catholic Health’s Good Samaritan University
Hospital, Dr. Ashish Sangal and Dr. Sharad Chandrika, were honored for their work in the advancement of lung care during the ceremony.
Sangal is a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist, and active across multiple medical expertise groups across the country.
“This is a great opportunity to raise awareness about lung cancer,” he said. “As a medical oncologist, I stand before our patients and witness their courage, their resilience, from countless individuals and families who face lung cancer.”
With lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths around the world, supporting further research is of grave importance, Sangal said.
The funds raised will support the Association’s mission to defeat lung cancer, projects to improve air quality, and reduce the burden of lung disease and tobacco-related illnesses on community members.
“We always seek opportunities where, if we can try to detect them early with newer therapies and treatments, we can save lives,” he explained.
Chandrika is an interventional pulmonary specialist, specializing in minimally invasive procedures and early cancer treatment. She attended the walk with her colleagues and her family to support the cause.
“We know that early detection saves lives,” Chandrika said, “the goal is to reach out to people, meet with them, increase our visibility, and tell them that screening is the right thing to do.
“It has to go beyond just education. We have to show our presence there and engage with the community.”
The walk brought together families, friends, and company teams to rally in support of the health and wellbeing of people afflicted with lung-related medical problems.
Over the past decade, the group has been able to increase their “investments and lung cancer research grants by 340 percent,” said Emily Amitin, development director of the ALA in New York.
Since then, “the Lung Force movement has since expanded to encompass all lung diseases and be a rallying cry for lung health across the country,” she added.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The ALA encourages donations throughout the rest of the month to reach their funding goals. So far, the charity has raised over $32 million for grants and research since 2014.
For more information about the ALA and similar events, visit LungForce.org/LongIsland or call 1-800-586-4872.
