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Esther Collins, middle, gets ready to make the turn onto Emile Street during the torch run as part of the Snuff Out Tobacco project. She is accompanied by UNMC Business and Finance colleagues Jayme Nekuda, left, and Keith Swarts. |
On Wednesday, four years after quitting the addictive habit, the Business Services coordinator tested her cleared-out lungs by participating in a torch run as part of the Snuff Out Tobacco project. UNMC’s Center for Healthy Living and department of internal medicine were contributors to the campaign.
During the relay, Collins took a fire extinguisher at 38th and Dodge streets, ran with co-workers Keith Swarts and Jayme Nekuda through the UNMC campus on 42nd and Emile streets, then handed off to another runner between the employee and patient parking garages. She said that she felt great and admitted that she couldn’t have completed the course as a smoker.
“It took me a while, but it was worth it,” Collins said of quitting smoking. “There is help; all you have to do is ask.”
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Esther Collins is interviewed by a TV reporter following her run. |
On Wednesday, she was part of the culmination of an anti-smoking campaign sponsored by Eta Sigma Gamma, a health education honorary at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
A key aspect of the campaign was the creation of a giant cigarette sculpture by Jamie Burmeister, a health educator and sculptor. On Wednesday, the extinguisher that Collins helped to carry through east Omaha put out the lighted cigarette.
The 30- to 40-foot long sculpture was mounted on a trailer to travel to schools, worksites, festivals and other special events.
At schools, students who pledged not to use tobacco products were able to sign their name on the sculpture. Educational materials were offered to all schools that request the giant cigarette sculpture. Representatives from smoke free restaurants and worksites also were able to sign the sculpture.