Ambassadors Group Celebrates 10th Anniversary

The year 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the Ambassadors Group. According to its first chair, Cindy Johnson, what began in 2000—a small group of ACCP members’ spouses who wanted to channel their talent and energy to benefit The CHEST Foundation—has now become a very active group of nearly 100 members. One of the main activities of the Ambassadors Group is volunteering to present the Lung Lessons^SM program to elementary school students. These dedicated volunteers have reached thousands of children throughout the United States and in schools located in Europe, China, and India. 

Starting in 2006 and continuing into 2011, Ambassadors Group members have financially supported one Humanitarian Award recipient’s project each year with a $5,000 grant through funds they have donated to The CHEST Foundation. Projects have ranged from antitobacco efforts and community health projects in India to the support of educational programs on the value of sleep in junior high students and the dangers of smoking in elementary school students. For the Ambassadors Group 10th anniversary year, a $10,000 grant was given to support an asthma clinic in Providence, Rhode Island.

Over the last 10 years, the Ambassadors Group has developed a number of important resources, including the following:

Stories at the End of Life

To support one of The CHEST Foundation’s focus areas of critical care and end-of-life care, the six-booklet set, Stories at the End of Life, was developed by Ambassadors Group members. A committee, chaired by Rosemary Bone Mason, RN, and Norine Lever, MA, selected stories, written by family members and friends who experienced the loss of a loved one, from submissions to a “call for stories.” Each booklet is organized around a central theme and designed to create a better understanding about the emotional and spiritual aspects that can help patients, families, and friends cope with terminal illness. It also serves as a resource for physicians to use with patients and their family members.

Love Your Lungs^® Poster Contest

The poster contest started in 2003 and is open to children aged 8 to 14 years. As one of the follow-up activities at schools where Ambassadors Group members volunteer, children are asked to create a design that shows how they “Love Your Lungs.”  More than 30 designs are submitted each year, and a committee of Ambassadors Group members selects a design that best illustrates the “Love Your Lungs” theme. This design is featured on posters that are displayed at each annual CHEST meeting.

Love Your Lungs^® Wristbands

To emphasize the value of taking good care of your lungs, the Ambassadors Group developed the Love Your Lungs^® wristbands. The wristbands are available in youth and adult sizes and can be ordered through the ACCP online store at

https://accp.chestnet.org/storeWA/StoreAction.do?method=view&pcrNum=31.

Love Your Lungs^® Note Cards

Packages of 12 blank note cards with envelopes feature four colorful winning poster contest designs and three of each design. The note cards are available at CHEST meetings and in the ACCP online store at https://accp.chestnet.org/storeWA/StoreAction.do?method=view&pcrNum=31.

Lung Lessons^SM:  A Presenter’s Guide

At the CHEST meeting in Chicago, IL, in 2007, Ambassadors Group members Monir Almassi, Susan Kvale, and Kathy Wilder were videotaped while teaching the Lung Lessons^SM program to 12 students. Their lessons were made into a DVD, Lung Lessons^SM:  A Presenter’s Guide, which is available on The CHEST Foundation’s Web site, www.onebreath.org. The DVD serves as a guide for new volunteers who go into elementary schools to teach children about the dangers of smoking and the importance of taking good care of your lungs.

The Ambassadors Group welcomes ACCP members, their families, and friends to their membership. Annual dues are $10 for youth members (high school and college), $35 for international members, and $50 for US and Canadian member.

The Ambassadors Group has developed a set of guiding principles that outline the responsibilities of the chair and various committees that focus on membership, marketing and communication, and lung health education. They host a hospitality and information room at the annual CHEST meeting where members can relax and make new or renew friendships. International members of the Ambassadors Group have presented “Celebrating Our Diversity” sessions that feature the culture, art, music, and food of their countries. The Ambassadors Group also hosts a Global Outreach Tea that is open to CHEST attendees interested in learning more about the group.

Many friendships have been made over the years the Ambassadors Group has been in existence. Information about other Ambassadors Group activities and a membership application can be found at www.onebreath.org.