ADAO plans September events to mark 9/11 anniversary and fight asbestos disease

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization is using September to pair remembrance with advocacy, spotlighting asbestos-related illness, 9/11 health impacts and prevention efforts. Its monthlong push includes a 5K in Illinois, a Washington-area conference and Mesothelioma Awareness Day events.

Why it matters: - ADAO is linking 9/11 remembrance to ongoing asbestos exposure risks that affected first responders, recovery workers, survivors and families. - The organization says September events are meant to drive education, prevention and advocacy around asbestos-related disease. - The effort comes as the U.S. marks 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

What happened: - ADAO outlined a September schedule of events centered on awareness, prevention and remembrance. - The month opens Sept. 19 with the 18th Annual Alton Miles for Meso 5K Race & 3K Fun Run/Walk in Alton, Illinois. - Simmons Hanly Conroy hosts the race, and Metro Tri Club coordinates it. - The event will be available in person and virtually. - ADAO's 21st Annual Asbestos Awareness & Prevention Conference runs Sept. 25-26 in the Washington, D.C., area. - The conference theme is "Asbestos: Awareness, Prevention, and the Law." - Saturday, Sept. 26, is Mesothelioma Awareness Day.

The details: - The Alton race brings together runners, walkers, patients, families, caregivers and advocates. - ADAO says the event honors people lost to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases while supporting education and prevention. - The conference will gather voices from science, medicine, public health, law, policy and advocacy, along with patients and families affected by asbestos-related disease. - Friday night includes "An Evening Under the Stars" with musical guests Jordan Zevon, Matt Cartsonis and Jordan Summers. - Zevon is ADAO's national spokesperson and celebrity board co-chair. - Zevon has advocated for asbestos awareness since his father, Warren Zevon, died of mesothelioma in 2003. - The conference closes with an awards and recognition dinner and a mesothelioma candle-lighting ceremony. - ADAO says those events are meant to honor people who died, recognize those still fighting the disease and stand with patients, families and caregivers. - The conference will also recognize 9/11 Health Watch and Dr. Michael Crane for work that advances awareness and protects communities affected by asbestos exposure. - ADAO was founded in 2004 and describes itself as an independent nonprofit focused on preventing asbestos exposure and eliminating asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy, community initiatives and policy reform. - More information is available on the organization's website.

Between the lines: - ADAO is using a public remembrance moment to keep attention on a disease that often emerges years after exposure. - The mix of a community race, a policy-and-science conference and a memorial ceremony shows a strategy that combines fundraising, education and public pressure. - ADAO's message also reflects a broader warning that asbestos exposure can still be found in older buildings and environments. - Jacqueline M. Moline, MD, MSc, warned that lung cancer numbers have doubled in five years and said the legacy of asbestos and other chemicals could keep driving future cancer cases.

What's next: - ADAO's September events will continue through Mesothelioma Awareness Day on Sept. 26. - The organization is pushing attendees and supporters to turn remembrance into prevention, advocacy and research-backed action. - The broader goal is to sustain public attention on asbestos exposure long after the 9/11 anniversary passes.

The bottom line: - ADAO is turning a month of memorials into a campaign for asbestos awareness, with 9/11 remembrance at the center and prevention as the message.