Nonprofit Advocacy Awards to be Announced at PR News Luncheon on November 3rd

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) announced today it has been named a finalist in a national advocacy awards competition for its "CPF National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week - Changing Lives, Changing the Future" 2009 advocacy effort.

The PR News' Nonprofit PR Awards program named the CPF as a finalist amongst national organizations such as the American Heart Association, Farm Aid, and the U.S. Postal Service. The award recognizes top performance by non-profit organizations in advocacy campaigns and efforts on Capitol Hill. Winners will be announced at a luncheon awards program on November 3rd at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The CPF has held "National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week" each year since 2001, and its national efforts for 2009 included 60 meetings on Capitol Hill with PF advocates including patients and family members of patients. Since the August congressional recess, the CPF and its advocates have helped more than double the number of co-sponsors on the major focus of its advocacy efforts, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 1079). The bill was re-introduced in July by Congressman Brian Baird who lost his father to PF, and Congressman Mike Castle who lost his brother and sister to it. PF has no treatments and no cure and is a disease that scars the lungs, suffocates its victims and is almost invariably fatal. Most people don't hear of PF until it strikes someone they love.

"Pulmonary Fibrosis is a devastating disease, and our efforts are focused on raising awareness and increasing research into the disease," said Mary Beth Savary Taylor, a volunteer advocate for the CPF who will be representing the CPF at the awards program. "I have seen PF's devastating impact on my own father's life, and I am working to do what I can to minimize future impact on other families."

The CPF is fortunate to have the help of Savary Taylor and other Washington experts including Manus Cooney, whose father received a life-saving lung transplant for PF last year. "We are so honored to have our advocacy program be recognized in this way," said Mishka Michon, the CPF's Chief Executive Officer. "Without the help of passionate experts like Mary Beth and Manus and advocates who've also been touched by this disease, we would not be able to accomplish the quality results we are experiencing."

For further information on the CPF and its advocacy efforts, please visit www.coalitionforpf.org.

About Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF)

Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring - known as fibrosis -- and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of their ability to breathe. Approximately 128,000 Americans suffer from PF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated 48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. PF is difficult to diagnose and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis. Sometimes PF can be linked to a particular cause, such as certain environmental exposures, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, residual infection, or autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis. However, in many instances, no known cause can be established. When this is the case, it is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

About the CPF

The CPF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2001 to accelerate research efforts leading to a cure for pulmonary fibrosis (PF), while educating, supporting, and advocating for the community of patients, families, and medical professionals fighting this disease. The CPF funds promising research into new approaches to treat and cure PF; provides patients and families with comprehensive education materials, resources, and hope; serves as a voice for national advocacy of PF issues; and works to improve awareness of PF in the medical community as well as the general public. The CPF's nonprofit partners include many of the most respected medical centers and healthcare organizations in the U.S. With more than 19,000 members nationwide, the CPF is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to advocating for those with PF. For more information please visit www.coalitionforpf.org or call (888) 222-8541.

SOURCE Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis