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PRESS RELEASE
Jan. 9, 2012, 7:00 a.m. EST

LIVESTRONG(R) Celebrates 15 Years of Serving & Empowering People Affected by Cancer

AUSTIN, TX, Jan 09, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Today, LIVESTRONG(R), the non-profit organization established by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, is celebrating 15 years of serving people affected by cancer and empowering them to take action against the world’s leading cause of death. Since its creation as the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997, the non-profit has invested $157 million in programs that serve survivors, $85 million in grants and awards and $33 million to advocate for policies and funding that advance the fight against the world’s leading cause of death. Now known publicly by its powerful brand, LIVESTRONG is a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people around the world living with cancer today.

“The fight against cancer doesn’t just happen in a lab or in a hospital. It happens in our homes, our places of business, our schools and in families who struggle with the impact of a cancer diagnosis,” said Lance Armstrong, LIVESTRONG founder and chairman. “Fifteen years ago, we created a foundation to support cancer research. Over time, we realized not enough was being done to help the people and families dealing with the many challenges that accompany cancer. Today, those are the people we serve. I am grateful to everyone who has supported our work on their behalf and I thank you for your continued support.”

“Today we mark a significant milestone for our Foundation, one we would never have achieved without the steadfast support of cancer survivors around the world,” said Doug Ulman, LIVESTRONG president and CEO. “In 15 years, our mission has evolved from supporting the search for a cure to serving the people and families struggling with cancer and its financial, physical and emotional effects today. I want to thank our partners in the cancer community, our millions of donors and supporters, our Board of Directors and our founder, without whom we would still be thinking of ourselves as victims rather than survivors. Lance Armstrong has devoted his life to serving people affected by cancer. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his courage and leadership.”

LIVESTRONG specializes primarily in two disciplines:
– direct service to cancer survivors and advocacy for policies and
– funding befitting the world’s leading cause of death.
In the area of direct service, LIVESTRONG provides free, bilingual patient-centered navigation services for people and families struggling with the physical, financial, legal, emotional and practical challenges that accompany cancer. In 2011, nearly 15,000 cancer survivors and their loved ones turned to the Foundation for these support services.

LIVESTRONG provides services in five main areas:
1) Coping with emotional concerns through counseling and support groups;
2) Addressing insurance, financial and job concerns;
3) Providing education about and matching to clinical trials and new treatments in development; 4) Locating and accessing local resources; and
5) Providing information about fertility risks and access to discounted rates for fertility preservation services.

Since cancer and its treatment often affect patient fertility, LIVESTRONG created Sharing Hope, a discounted fertility preservation program. Since 2010, Sharing Hope users have saved more than $2 million in their efforts to preserve their fertility. LIVESTRONG’s navigation services are accessed online at http://www.livestrong.org and via phone at (855) 220-7777. More information about the results of LIVESTRONG’s navigation services can be accessed in the 2010 report, Navigating the Cancer Experience: Reviewing the Impact of LIVESTRONG’s Navigation Services. LIVESTRONG also offers tools to help survivors in their daily personal cancer experience: the LIVESTRONG Guidebook as well as the recently-developed LIVESTRONG Cancer Guide & Tracker iPad application.

In advocacy, LIVESTRONG supports state, national and global policies and funding that serve survivors, aid prevention, fund research, promote access to treatment and strengthen health systems. In 2007, LIVESTRONG campaigned for the largest state-level initiative for cancer prevention in history — Proposition 15 — a 10-year, $3 billion investment that Texas voters overwhelmingly supported. The passage of this bill led to the creation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which to date has awarded nearly $600 million in cancer prevention, research and commercialization grants.

In 2012, LIVESTRONG is supporting the California Cancer Research Act, a June ballot initiative that will result in significant reductions in smoking and billions more in funding for cancer research. If passed by voters, the California Cancer Research Act will provide more than $500 million a year to find new ways to detect, treat, prevent and cure cancer and other tobacco-related illnesses. The coalition, co-chaired by Armstrong, is led by the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and LIVESTRONG.

LIVESTRONG hopes to play an active role in the passage of a statewide smoke-free indoor workplace law in Texas in 2013. Smoke-Free Texas is a broad coalition of organizations who believe all Texas employees and customers have the right to breathe clean indoor air. LIVESTRONG and its coalition partners campaign for passage of comprehensive smoke-free workplace legislation to protect Texans from the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure in their places of business, including bars and restaurants.
Though LIVESTRONG’s primary focus today is service and advocacy, the organization’s historical support of cancer research remains. Since 1998, LIVESTRONG has invested more than $40 million in research grants.

LIVESTRONG’s other notable successes over the past 15 years include
— Since its inception in 1997, the organization has invested nearly $70
million in community-centered organizations. Today, the Foundation’s
Community Impact Project funds programs throughout the U.S. that serve
survivors and their loved ones, such as Supersibs! which specializes
in sibling support for pediatric cancer patients, and Camp Kesem, a
summer camp for children with a parent affected by cancer.
— In 2004, the Foundation and Nike launched the now-iconic yellow
LIVESTRONG wristband. To date, Nike has helped raise more than $100
million for the Foundation through the distribution of the $1
wristbands.
— LIVESTRONG now has more than 250 highly-engaged advocates in 35
countries and has invested $33 million in advocacy and engagement
since 1997.
— In 2008, LIVESTRONG issued a national call to action against cancer
which spurred both presidential candidates to address their plans for
the disease, a first in the history of presidential campaigns.
— The LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland in 2009
resulted in 300 commitments to the fight against cancer, representing
work in more than 60 countries around the world and an investment in
cancer control of more than $200 million.
— Working with The Economist Intelligence Unit and the American Cancer
Society, LIVESTRONG shed new light on cancer’s global economic toll
with two groundbreaking studies in 2009 and 2010.
— The Foundation’s on-going LIVESTRONG Survey for Post-Treatment Cancer
Survivors chronicles the lasting effects of cancer, including the
physical, practical and emotional changes that remain of concern for
survivors throughout their post-treatment lives.
— Educating more than 247,000 school children about cancer prevention
and supporting loved ones affected by the disease through LIVESTRONG
at School. LIVESTRONG has invested $157 million in education, programs
and policy efforts in the last 15 years.
— The Foundation has historically been a strong proponent of global
action against non-communicable diseases and in 2011, LIVESTRONG urged
world leaders to act swiftly to combat the global cancer crisis at the
United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases.
— The LIVESTRONG Cancer Navigation Center opened in 2011, marking an
expansion of the direct services the Foundation offers, available
online and by phone and now in-person. This community-based center,
one of just two facilities of its kind in the U.S., provides free,
confidential, one-on-one support to anyone affected by cancer.
— Through its LIVESTRONG Challenge series and Team LIVESTRONG events,
the Foundation offers supporters opportunities to participate in a
broad range of athletic events while raising funds for the fight
against cancer. To date, Challenge and Team LIVESTRONG participants
have raised $82 million for Foundation programs and services.
— By the end of 2011, LIVESTRONG has raised $450 million since its
inception. Eighty-one cents of every dollar raised directly supports
LIVESTRONG programs and services for cancer survivors.

About: LIVESTRONG/Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG serves people affected by cancer and empowers them to take action against the world’s leading cause of death. Created as the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the organization is now known publicly by its powerful brand — LIVESTRONG — and is a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. Originating with the iconic yellow wristband, LIVESTRONG has become a symbol of hope and inspiration to people affected by cancer around the world. Since its inception, the organization has raised $450 million for the fight against cancer. For more information, visit LIVESTRONG.org.

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