02/09/07
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have come together to offer an opportunity for one lucky person to “go pro” in the NBA for a day.
The Foundation’s national asthma education campaign—“Are You Ready to Go Pro?”—is aimed at helping people take better care of their asthma to improve their quality of life. The NBA and AAFA are also hosting a sweepstakes for one person to win a trip to NBA Draft 2007 in New York and spend time with an NBA player or legend.
“Health and fitness are important issues for the NBA and our fans,” says Josh Wachs, NBA vice president for community relations. “This partnership with AAFA allows us to help raise awareness about the effects of asthma and how people with this disease can help themselves.”
“Asthma prevalence has doubled in the last 20 years,” says Sheryl Lucas, MD, a board certified allergist with Kaiser Permanente in Washington, DC, “and we’re seeing an alarming number of uncontrolled asthma cases, which tells us we need better education about proper asthma management. The really good news is that asthma won’t stop you if it’s well controlled, but you need to take it seriously and manage it like a ‘pro’.”
According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), more than 15% of athletes at all levels of competition show some symptoms of asthma, but it doesn’t stop them from becoming the best. “Asthma is more manageable today than ever before,” said Lucas, “so people who take good care of their asthma can become whatever they want in life, even an NBA pro.”
For more information, please visit www.ReadyToGoPro.com.
