I’ve posted about several mesothelioma fund-raising and awareness events during the past month, happening in places like Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania. Activities have ranged from bike rides to walks and even a bowl-a-thon. Proceeds from these events have gone toward mesothelioma research, through the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF), or will benefit an individual, like Shanna Kurtz, in her personal battle against mesothelioma.

Today I heard from two people who are looking for ways to help raise awareness of mesothelioma and funds for research. One lives in California and the other in New York. If you know of any events in these areas in the coming weeks, please email us at myMeso – you can just click that green “Contact Us!” button on the home page, or you can email me directly at wendi.lewis@beasleyallen.com.

Also, if you send us information about an event, please include information about where the proceeds will go (either to an individual or an organization) and let us know how people can donate even if they cannot attend the event. Many people in the meso community will still want to help, even if they aren’t able to travel to your area to participate.

I look forward to helping you get the word out about your mesothelioma awareness event!

A new process that treats asbestos with heat and chemicals, called thermochemical conversion, could help ensure greater safety for asbestos removal projects, particularly those on a large scale. The process is being discussed in several Pennsylvania communities that are looking at ways to clean a more than 60-acre site contaminated with asbestos.

The new technology has been developed by ARI Technologies, Inc., a company dedicated to solving environmental waste management problems. The new thermochemical conversion technique has been certified by the EPA as an alternative to asbestos disposal. According to the company web site, the process can destroy PCBs, dixoin and immobilize metals.

According to a report in the the Times Herald, at a recent town meeting in Montgomery County, Penn., ARI’s president of technologies Dale Timmons said the process “involves using heat and chemicals on a rotary hearth to convert asbestos into volcanic materials.” He said the new substance does not release harmful fibers, which is the main danger of asbestos, so that it can be used in construction aggregate.

Usually, when asbestos is crushed or otherwise disturbed, it releases microscopic fibers that can be inhaled and that lodge themselves in the body. These fibers can cause asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs, or mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, stomach or heart. Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma.

The Times Herald says that while the EPA has signed off on thermochemical conversion for asbestos destruction, it is unclear at this time if the agency has given full approval for the process for asbestos removal projects.

ARI officials said the Pennsylvania project would require that between 150 and 300 tons of asbestos would need to be processed every day, 24 hours per day, to clean up the affected site, and that it would take nearly 10 years to process the estimated 3 million TONS of asbestos in the affected area, which covers three municipalities.

Asbestos handling would be conducted in an air-locked structure that would have to be built over the affected area, and the company would do constant air monitoring, the Times Herald reports. Cost would be about $135 per ton, with funds for the project likely coming from the federal government, according to the report.

The Norm Kulig 2Young2Go Foundation will hold a 10k/5k run and 1 mile walk on Saturday, April 4, to raise awareness of mesothelioma and raise money for a cure. Proceeds from the race will go to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF). The race and related activities will be held from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania.

Pre-registration online is $22, registration day of the race is $32. There also are sponsorship opportunities.

The Norm Kulig 2Young2Go Foundation is dedicated to increasing the awareness of environmental related causes of cancer, further the scientific research of such cancers and promoting the environmental cleanup of areas contaminated by cancer causing substances. The organization was founded by the siblings of Norm Kulig, who died at age 42 as a result of mesothelioma.

On its web site, the family states, “Our hope and goal is to increase awareness and provide much needed funds for a cancer that affects a large population but goes relatively unrecognized. The southeastern part of Pennsylvania was a hot bed of asbesots manufacturing for nearly 100 years. There are still significant waste deposits in the area that are in need of remediation. A strong potential currenly exists that these waste deposits may continue to infect and cause disease.”

If you cannot participate in the race, consider becoming a sponsor. You can sign up at the web site, or contact Bill Kasenchar at bill@2young2go.org or call 215-313-8698.

This is a reminder for everyone in the Media, Pennsylvania, area that this weekend is the Racing for a Cure fund raising event where you can meet the drivers and see the cars that regularly race at the Bridgeport Speedway. The event is being organized by Bill Thomas Racing. Bill, Jr. , is a driver at Bridgeport and his dad, Bill Sr., recently was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

The family, including Bill Sr.’s wife (and Bill Jr.’s mom) Debbie, has dedicated the 2009 racing season to “Racing for a Cure,” with a goal of raising awareness of mesothelioma and funds for mesothelioma research. In addition to the event this weekend, which will be held at Granite Run Mall in Media, Penn., March 7 and 8, there are other sponsorship opportunities available, including placing your company name and logo on a car, driver’s racing suit, tickets and pit passes, and other race-related items and events.

Proceeds from all fund raisers will go to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF), a national non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending disease by funding research, helping patients find resources and treatment, and advocating for federal mesothelioma reserach funding.

Bill Thomas Racing has a new web site dedicated to the meso awareness project, at www.billthomasracing.com/racingforacure. According to the site, benefits of sponsorship, in addition to media visibility and promotion, include “an opportunity to join an initiative that will really make a difference in people’s lives.”

The Racing for a Cure event this weekend will feature a “meet and greet” with drivers, race cars will be on display, and there will be a silent auction. Ms. Motorsports 2009 also will be on hand to greet fans and sign autographs.

For more information about how you can sponsor the 2009 Racing for a Cure season, visit the web site, or contact Bill Thomas at 610-876-3781 or by email at wthomas210@comcast.net.

The results of a recent study provide hope in the fight against mesothelioma. The research says attacking mesothelin, a protein produced by all pancreatic cancers and mesotheliomas, as well as some ovarian and non-small-cell lung cancers, may be effective in shrinking tumors.

Findings of the study, which was directed by Dr. Carl H. June at PENN Medicine in partnership with the National Cancer Institute, were published in the Feb. 9 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

According to a news release from PENN Medicine, the new study uses genetically engineered human T cells (immune system cells) to target human mesothelin. Previous laboratory research has shown that certain T-cells can kill tumor cells that express mesothelin, and that antibodies directed against mesothelin protein can shrink tumors.

The release quotes Dr. June, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of Translational Research at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center, as saying, “Based on the size of the tumors and the number of cells administered, we estimate that one mesothelin-targeted T cell was able to kill about 40 tumor cells.”

Clinical trials are being developed to investigate this approach to fighting tumors in patients with mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.

PENN Medicine is a $3.6 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Yesterday I posted some information about a mesothelioma awareness and fund raising event coming up in Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the Bridgeport Speedway. The event is the first ever “Meet and Greet” that will allow race fans to meet the drivers and see the cars of Bridgeport Speedway.

Today I talked to event organizer Bill Thomas, Sr., of Bill Thomas Racing. He said the event was born of necessity, when he discovered in August that he has mesothelioma. Already active with his son, Bill Jr., on the racing circuit, an event tied to the sport seemed a natural fit.

“Racing with my son is a big part of my life,” he said. “I had to retire as a result of having meso, and I felt like I really needed to do something and give back so I came up with this event.”

The Meet & Greet will feature a number of drivers from the Bridgeport Speedway, located in Bridgeport, New Jersey, which bills itself as “The Fastest Dirt Track in the East.” Ms. Motorsports 2009 also will attend the event. A silent auction will help raise money for mesothelioma research, with proceeds going to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

The event is set for March 7 and 8 at the Granite Run Mall in Media, Penn.

More information about featured drivers and other events will be available in the next few weeks prior to the event. You can also follow the new Bill Thomas Racing Blog.

If you are interested in donating items for the silent auction, or volunteering in any other way, please contact Bill Thomas at 610-329-0239 or email him at billthomasracing@comcast.net.

Updates on Lung Leavin’ Day festivities to come… stay tuned!

But in the meantime, let me share some news about a fund raising event for mesothelioma research for those of you who live in northeast. The Bridgeport Speedway and Bill Thomas Racing will present the first ever “Meet & Greet the Drivers and See the Cars of Bridgeport Speedway” on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8. The event will be held at the Granite Run Mall in Media, Penn.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation to help fund research to find a cure for mesothelioma. The show will see the mall filled with racing vehicles of all classes and there will be a number of current and retired racers on hand to visit with fans and sign autographs. The event also will feature Ms. Motorsports 2009.

The Bridgeport Speedway, which is located in Bridgeport, New Jersey, bills itself as “The Fastest Dirt Track in the East.” The South Jersey raceway features a fun family atmosphere at a banked 5/8th mile dirt oval, featuring a dirt 1/4 mile oval embedded in the center. The track is centrally located minutes from Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The Granite Run Mall is located in the heart of the tourist areas of central Philadelphia, Valley Forge and the Brandywine Valley.

More information about fund raising events to benefit mesothelioma research through the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is available on the organization’s web site, along with assistance if you’d like to plan an event. Go to their home page at www.curemeso.org and click on the “Volunteer” tab and then “Upcoming Events,” or email info@curemeso.org.

In the news this week, two reports of deaths resulting from mesothelioma.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the death of Thomas S. McGuire, 47, of Broomall, who died Monday. Mr. McGuire was an employee of United Parcel Service (UPS) in West Chester, for more than 26 years. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July 2007. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Duddy McGuire, sons Michael and Thomas Jr., daughter Kelly and two brothers and a sister. Donations in his memory may be made to the McGuire Children Education Fund, TD Bank, 120 W. Eagle Rd., Havertown, Pa., 19083.

The Hastings Star-Gazette, in Hastings, Minn., reports the death of Kenneth B. Kjos, 88. He passed away Dec. 9 after battling mesothelioma. Mr. Kjos served his country in the U.S. Air Force from 1942-1945. He worked at the Koch Refinery from 1955-1988. He is survived by his wife, Jean Highet Kjos, sons Bruce, Thomas and Robert, daughters Karen, Kristine and Betty, as well as 15 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, a sister and other relatives and friends.

Blessings to these families.

In the first days of writing this blog, I linked to a very inspirational video by Dr. Randy Pausch, popularly called The Last Lecture. Pausch, a 47-year-old Professor of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, and created the lecture to inspire others to make the most of the time they have here on earth.

Based on the idea of “living your childhood dreams,” the lecture is a reflection on what would be most important to a person if they had to choose the last talk of their life – the things they would want to share with others.

Dr. Pausch passed away today, at the age of 47. He is survived by his wife, Jai, and their three children, Dylan, Logan and Chloe; his mother, Virginia Pausch of Columbia, Md.; and a sister, Tamara Mason of Lynchburg, Va.

Please take the time to watch this video. I hope that it inspires you to live your dreams.

As part of the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma, held last week in Washington, D.C., 13-year-old Lexi Miletto presented a keynote address to more than 200 top-level cancer researchers, scientists and physicians, as well as mesothelioma survivors, caregivers and their families. The Symposium is an annual event presented by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation). Lexi’s grandfather, Joe Miletto, died from mesothelioma three years ago.

When her grandfather passed away, 9-year-old Lexi, who lives just outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, channeled her grief into a letter-writing campaign, hoping to raise awareness of mesothelioma. According to an article in The Morning Call, a publication that serves Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, Lexi wrote medical research organizations, political leaders including President George Bush, and even television celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, hoping to spread the word about asbestos danger and mesothelioma.

This year, the Meso Foundation invited Lexi to give the keynote address Friday, June 27, at its International Symposium. The Morning Call quotes Chris Hahn, the foundation’s executive director, as saying, ”We wanted to show the full spectrum of the disease’s effect on families. How inspiring it is that this young gal going into eighth grade has this concern for a much bigger national problem.”