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Boston's Prudential Center was lit up in blue on Wednesday night, and the Patriots own Brandon King was the one who flipped the switch.
Brandon was a special guest at the annual "Shine a Light on Lung Cancer" event at the Prudential Center, which aims to raise awareness about the disease, what causes it and how many are directly impacted by it. With flashlights, speakers and a giant switch to change the outside of the Prudential Center to reflect the event, Brandon and those in attendance did just that -- put lung cancer awareness in the spotlight.
Lung cancer is the "leading cancer killer" among both men and women in the United States, according to the American Lung Association, and Brandon feels many people don't realize how broadly the disease hits. He said his goalwas to help people realize how many people are impacted by lung cancer, like his grandmother who passed away from the disease.
Wednesday night was an opportunity to broadcast that message from the heart of Boston.
"It lit up the Prudential Center with the blue just as an indicator for people walking through every day. It's not a cause, but it's prevalent around the United States," Brandon said. "I just wanted to take a little time out of my day to maybe influence someone. Every time someone shows interest in something, it brings someone else in that wasn't paying attention to it before."
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At the event, Brandon met with survivors and families of those diagnosed with lung cancer. Brandon has been a regular at New England Patriots Charitable Foundation events and outings, including earlier this year when he and teammates invited breast cancer patients to a day of pampering at Gillette Stadium. For him, using his ground as an NFL player to give back and make a difference is bigger than football.
"We're just like everyone else. We work just like everyone else. They go through trials and tribulations," Brandon said. "I do too, but those are more serious. This is a game. That's life. After this ends, I'll still be fine. I'll still be able to walk, but if they lose that fight, that's different."
