Last week I helped spread the word that Lung Cancer Alliance advocate John Atkinson has been selected by Golf Digest magazine to play the U.S. Open golf course, on Father’s Day, June 15, as part of a celebrity foursome with NBC Today Show’s Matt Lauer, entertainer Justin Timberlake, and NFL star Tony Romo. He plans to use the opportunity to advocate for lung cancer awareness and research. NBC Sports will broadcast the celebrity event from 2-3 p.m. ET, where John hopes to break 100 on the tough Torrey Pines course.

John was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer a little more than a year ago at age 38. He was selected from among 56,000 people who entered a contest sponsored by Golf Digest, the United States Golf Association and NBC Sports to play the U.S. Open Course as part of the celebrity team. You can read more of his inspiring story at Golf Digest online.

In addition to raising awareness, John and the Lung Cancer Alliance would like to use this event as an opportunity to raise funds for lung cancer research. They are encouraging people to make a donation or pledge to LCA in John’s honor. There’s even a great idea for a “game day” event, where lung cancer awareness supporters can collect pledges and host a pledge party with family and friends. John is urging donors to consider doubling their pledge amount if he breaks 100!

Visit the Lung Cancer Alliance U.S. Open pledge page for donation information, pledge party forms, and links for help and more information.

What a GREAT opportunity to raise the profile of lung cancer awareness, and communicate to America – and beyond – what an important issue this is for national health! Watch for John in the coming weeks, as he is scheduled to appear on national news programs like NBC Nightly News, The Today Show and The Tonight Show. I’ll try to update when his appearances are scheduled.

Golf Digest magazine announced John Atkinson, a stage IV lung cancer survivor, has been selected to play as part of a celebrity foursome at Torrey Pines, the same course played by the pros at this year’s U.S. Open. Atkinson will play with NBC Today Show host Matt Lauer, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, and recording artist Justin Timberlake. The event will be broadcast on NBC Sports on Sunday, June 15, from 2-3 p.m. (ET), in the hour leading into NBC’s broadcast of the final round.

Atkinson was selected from more than 56,000 entries, voted on by the magazine’s readers. Never a smoker, he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer a little more than a year ago at age 38. He hopes to use the golf event as an opportunity to raise awareness for lung cancer funding and research.

In a press release from the Lung Cancer Alliance, which urged its members and supporters to vote for Atkinson, he is quoted as saying, “The game of golf to me is living. I am going out there to enjoy the golf course, to play a great round and to give hope to those who are faced with life threatening illnesses. If I can beat America’s deadliest cancer, then I can definitely break 100 [at Torrey Pines]. It’s going to be a great day, an emotional day, and I can’t wait.”

Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cancer killer, taking more lives than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined.

To enter the contest, Atkinson submitted a 100-word essay describing why he could break 100 at Torrey Pines. Once being chosen as a finalist, he received more than 48,000 of the 117,000 votes cast in the first U.S. Open Contest, conducted by Golf Digest, the United States Golf Association, and NBC Sports. You can watch a video interview with Atkinson and read other features about the foursome at Golf Digest online.