News-Leader.com
Springfield, Missouri

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder today joined St. Louis Rams Linebacker Chris Draft to unveil a program targeted to raise awareness for asthma sufferers across the state. Draft is an asthma sufferer.

The “Winning with Asthma” campaign is targeted for children in Missouri middle school and high schools, Kinder said during the announcement. The idea is to teach parents, coaches and students how to identify the disease and its effects.

The campaign is a private-public partnership created by the National Lt. Governors Association. The initiative will feature posters, literature and TV and radio messages.

“I am excited to partner with Lt. Governor Kinder on a project near and dear to my heart,” Draft said.

“By educating parents, teachers and students to handle asthma they can one day save a life. It is my hope that with this program we can give children the tools to help tackle asthma,” Draft said.

2008 marks the beginning of Draft’s 11th year in the NFL. As an active NFL player living with asthma, Chris works with many national and local organizations to increase awareness of the disease.

More than 400,000 Missouri adults and more than 115,000 children suffer from the affects of asthma. In 2004, nearly half of Missouri adults with asthma reported they were first diagnosed as children.

The official “Winning with Asthma” Web site is at www.winningwithasthma.org.