Quitters Honored at Wizards' DC Tobacco Free Fa...( WASHINGTON March 20 -- Although ...),Health

WASHINGTON, March 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Although it was a rainy Saturday, nothing could dampen the spirits of the participants of the DC Quitline(R). DC Tobacco Free Families (DCTFF) hosted a special evening at Saturday's Wizard's game against the Los Angeles Clippers for over 100 D.C. residents who have quit smoking using the free services of the District's Quitline(R) and Unity Health Care, Inc.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080320/NETH063 )

Unity and Quitline(R) participants were treated to this celebratory evening to reward them for their efforts to stop smoking. A small group was lucky enough to view the game from DC Tobacco Free Families' VIP suite and meet former Washington Bullet's center Gheorghe Muresan. "It was an extraordinary moment for the Unity and Quitline participants to be congratulated on their efforts by 7' 7" Muresan and made the evening even more memorable," said Vince Keane, President and CEO of Unity Health Care, Inc.

Highlights for the evening included a halftime interview by Dave Johnson with Keane at the press table about the success of the DC Tobacco Free Families campaign to provide free tobacco cessation counseling and nicotine patches and lozenges to Unity patients and Quitline(R) participants. In the fourth quarter, the Unity and Quitline(R) participants in the VIP suite were shown on the scoreboard to honor their success in front of all the basketball fans at the Verizon Center. Shortly thereafter, everyone celebrated the Wizards defeat over the Clippers 119-109.

The Quitline(R) is paid for by a grant from the DC Department of Health. The Quitline(R) provides counseling, nicotine lozenges, patches, and other resources free of charge to D.C. residents.

About DC Tobacco Free Families (DCTFF):

DCTFF is a partnership of the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Lung Association of
'/>"/>