East End kite-flying for cancer research

For a fifth year, a local group is following Mary Poppins' advice to "go fly a kite, up to the highest height."

On May 28, the sky above Coopers Beach in Southampton will be filled with hand-decorated kites, all flying in honor of those lost to and those still fighting lung cancer.

The Kites for a Cure fundraiser was initiated by Uniting Against Lung Cancer, a Manhattan-based nonprofit foundation started in 2001 by family and friends of Joan Scarangello, a Southampton resident and nonsmoker who died that year at age 47 from lung cancer.

The organization has awarded more than $7 million in privately funded research grants to find a cure for the disease, one of the lowest-funded of the deadliest cancers.

"The kids look at it as a day to fly a kite," said Tess Wachs, a board director who lost her mother to lung cancer. "People who have been touched by [the disease] send that kite up to the sky. It's very moving."

The mortality rate for lung cancer is higher than any other cancer. The disease kills an estimated 160,000 people a year, more than colon, pancreatic, breast and prostate cancers combined, according to the American Lung Association. By the time symptoms appear, such as unusual shortness of breath, chronic cough and recurring respiratory illnesses, the disease has often advanced, making it difficult to treat.

The association says lung cancer's five-year survival rate at 15.6 percent is lower than that for other commonly diagnosed cancers, such as colon (64.6 percent), breast (89.1 percent) and prostate (99.7 percent).

Despite the sobering statistics, the Kites for a Cure event is anything but morose, Wachs said. "It's very upbeat. It's a fun family day on the beach."

Last year, about 800 people participated. This year, planners believe it will be closer to 1,000 kite-flyers.

East Hampton-based radio station WEHM-FM, which plays progressive music, will broadcast from the beach, and 40 local businesses are supporting the effort this year.

At Southampton High School, students from Gail Altomare's advanced drawing and painting class recently decorated kites with sunflowers and butterflies, Art Deco swirls and messages such as "Be Strong." Students at East Hampton High School painted kites as well. The kites from both schools will be sold at Chrysalis Gallery in Bridgehampton as part of the fundraiser.

Southampton Mayor Mark Epley and his family will again fly their kites in memory of Epley's father, who died of lung cancer in 2003. "I've been involved since its inception," Epley said.

The kite fly on Meadow Lane is set for 4-6 p.m. The rain date is May 29. Donations are $30 for individuals and $300 per family. Family donors will have their names included on the foundation's website.

To register for the event or for more information, see unitingagainstlungcancer.org.