Jan. 18, 2011

Tweet

BERKELEY - On Sunday, Feb. 6, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation is sponsoring the second annual Jog for Jill 5K event on the Berkeley campus. The event is in honor of the late Jill Costello, a former coxswain on the California women's crew who passed away from lung cancer on June 24, 2010. You can pre-register online by clicking here or at the start/finish line on the day of the event, beginning at 1 p.m. The shotgun start is at 2 p.m., beginning and ending at the Bear's Lair at 2475 Bancroft Way in Berkeley.

Cal student-athletes, staff, friends and family are encouraged to join "Team Jill." Nearly all 27 Golden Bear teams will have representation at the event. Student and youth registration is $15 while all others are $30.

Near the end of her life, Costello became involved with the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (BJALCF), which promotes lung cancer awareness and raises funds to find a cure. She helped raise $50,000 for lung cancer research and rallied 1,000 people for the initial Jog for Jill event that took place on Feb. 7, 2010, which was the largest event in terms of number of people in the history of lung cancer. Per Costello's request, there will be an annual Jog for Jill event every February.

On Sunday, Sept. 12, 5,000 people came together in Golden Gate Park to participate in the Jog for Jill. The event raised approximately $370,000 for lung cancer research.

After being diagnosed with the disease on June 6, 2009, Costello remained an active member on the rowing team through the 2010 season, coxing the varsity 8+ to a Pac-10 Championship and helping the Golden Bears finish second overall at the NCAA Championships. The 2010 Pac-10 Athlete of the Year, Costello graduated last May with a degree in political economy and was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic second team. She accomplished all of this while undergoing 22 chemotherapy sessions and 14 days of radiation treatments.

"Jill was a wonderful person in every way, and we were blessed to have had her in our lives," head coach Dave O'Neill said shortly after Costello passed away. "Back when Jill was diagnosed, she wrote, 'Life is all about how we handle the challenges we are given.' Jill faced this challenge with absolute courage, grace and dignity, and was an inspiration for so many people, especially our team. As much as everyone tried to lend a hand, Jill was the one inspiring all of us. The core of `Team Jill' was her parents, Mary and Jim, and aunt, Kathy. Our hearts go out to them."

Jog for Jill
5K Event Fundraiser
Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011

Start/End:
Bear's Lair
2475 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (510) 843-5247

Registration opens: 1 p.m.
Shotgun start: 2 p.m.

Registration:
Standard: $30
Student/Youth: $15
Register day of or by clicking here

Read an article from Sports Illustrated about Jill by clicking here.

Jog For Jill in September Photo Gallery

Lung Cancer Facts
-Over 450 people a day or 19 people an hour die or of lung cancer in the U.S.
-You can get lung cancer if you have never smoked
-The overall survival rate for lung cancer is 15.5 percent, the same as it was over 40 years ago
-Every three minutes, another person is diagnosed with lung cancer
-Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer, taking more people than breast, prostrate, colon, liver, melanoma and kidney cancers combined
-Lung cancer surpassed breast cancer as the No. 1 cancer kill of women in 1987
-For every $9 spent on breast cancer, $1 is spent on lung cancer in the U.S.
-In 2009, lung cancer killed almost twice as many women as breast cancer
-Roughly 60 percent of lung cancer is diagnosed in those who never smoked and in former smokers