SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - After Academy of Art shared the 2011-12 PacWest Community Engagement Award, the men's soccer and women's tennis teams participated in the first official community service event of the 2012-13 academic year at the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Run/Walk in Golden Gate Park.

The Urban Knights assisted in a variety of capacities that included marking the 5K course, setting up booth tables, registering participants, and cheering on the runners and walkers.

In fact, two of the men's soccer athletes, Runar Gudbjartsson and Jon "Jay" Eldon, put their lungs to work and completed the 5k race.

This event has close ties to the men's soccer team as one of their teammates passed away last August due to lung cancer.

More than 450 people die each day of lung cancer in the United States - that's 19 people an hour. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer, causing more deaths than breast, prostate, colon, liver, melanoma and kidney cancers combined.

Surprisingly, 80% of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients never smoked or quit decades ago.

“The San Francisco 5K is one of our biggest events of the year and is a wonderful day full of hope for our patients and families," Darby Anderson, events associate for The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, said. "The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is working hard every day to beat lung cancer BIG Time, and it is events like Sunday's that bring us one step closer to doing that."

Art U athletes were visible throughout the event.

“It was fun to see a range of people who were running and participating to help find a cure for Lung Cancer,” Daniela Amelunge Antelo, who competes on the women's tennis team, said. "It feels great to help make a difference!”  

Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer 5K San Francisco Walk/Run raised $185,000 with about 1,500 participants, including 26 ART U Urban Knights.

Please visit www.lungcancerfoundation.org for more information on ways that you can help beat lung cancer.