This week, Cullerton joined leaders of the American Lung Association and the United States Post Office in Chicago and Springfield to kick off the campaign to purchase Christmas Seals and affix them to packages, holiday cards and other mail.  The proceeds of the Seals sales are directed to American Lung Association campaigns fighting lung disease, childhood asthma, secondhand smoke and air pollution.

William Kempiners, a member of the board of the American Lung Association said that Cullerton was chosen to help chair the 2009 effort because of his career-long advocacy for greater lung health, including his leadership in passing Senate Bill 500, creating a statewide smoking ban in public places.

“Illinois Senate President Cullerton has been a champion in the fight for air”, Mr. Kempiner said.

“It is a privilege to serves at the 2009 chairperson for the American Lung Association’s Illinois Christmas Seal ® campaign.  By working together with organizations such as the American Lung Association, we are making progress in increasing lung health across the nation,” Senator Cullerton said.

Additionally, the U.S. Post Office will be affixing a unique cancelation stamp on all processed mail in Springfield.  Scott Cheeseman, Post Officer in charge of the Springfield Post Office unveiled the cancellation stamp of mail processed in the capital city’s postal processing centers.

“The cancellation will bear a special holiday greeting on behalf of the American Lung Association; it’s a heartwarming and heartfelt reminder to support the important work of the American Lung Association,” Mr. Cheeseman said.

Emily Bissell, a Red Cross volunteer and veteran fundraiser, designed the first holiday seal in 1907 and sold them at the post office for a penny each.  Since then, the United States Postal Service and the American Lung Association have teamed up to provide Christmas Seals ® as a fundraiser and reminder of the hard work and research of the American Lung Association.

According to the National Cancer Institute, secondhand tobacco smoke causes at least 65,000 deaths in the United States each year from heart disease and lung cancer. Nearly 3,000 of these deaths are citizens of Illinois. The largest percentage of this population are employees working in bars and restaurants. 

The statewide smoking ban, sponsored, passed and enacted with the help of Senator Cullerton, eliminated smoking in public places, creating a healthier environment for employees and others in our state

It is estimated that 8 people in Illinois die everyday from the effects of secondhand smoke. 

Senator Cullerton, long an advocate for a healthier Illinois, has also been named a “Public Health Champion” by the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium and awarded the “Catch Your Breath Legacy” award from the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago.