Billy Ray Cyrus Raises Awareness for COPD at CMAs

Country Music and television star Billy Ray Cyrus and the Country Music Association have joined DRIVE4COPD to raise awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) among Country Music fans and artists. DRIVE4COPD is a national public health initiative that aims to help people identify symptoms of COPD and take action. Cyrus will kick off this new partnership by hosting the "DRIVE4COPD Pavilion" on the Black Carpet at The 44th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 10, where he will greet visiting artists and celebrities and ask them to lend their support and autograph the colorful DRIVE4COPD pinwheel icon.
 
COPD is a serious lung disease that makes it harder and harder to breathe. With a history of COPD in his family, Cyrus is passionate about encouraging Americans to find out more about this debilitating disease and is looking forward to doing so as a new campaign celebrity ambassador.
 
"I'm proud to be partnering with the Country Music Association and DRIVE4COPD," Cyrus said. "It's astounding to think that COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and yet many people don't even know what it stands for. If I can help inspire Americans to find out more about COPD and get screened then I've done my job."
 
Born from a partnership between the American Association of Respiratory Care, American Lung Association, COPD Foundation, NASCAR and founding sponsor Boehringer Ingelheim, DRIVE4COPD is an education and awareness campaign encouraging Americans 35 and older to take a brief, five question screener to help people determine if they may be at risk for COPD and, if they are, to speak to their doctor. Through the DRIVE4COPD partnership with the Country Music Association, Cyrus joins fellow Country star Patty Loveless and other celebrities to help bring COPD to the forefront. 
 
"CMA is thrilled to join the DRIVE4COPD campaign and we're excited to have an artist and actor the caliber of Billy Ray Cyrus to host the DRIVE4COPD Pavilion on the Black Carpet and be a campaign ambassador," said Sheri Warnke, CMA Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. "His involvement and his relationship with the other artists and celebrities attending the CMA Awards will go a long way to help raise awareness of this disease."