Why Seattle’s Great Wheel is ‘turning turquoise’ this week

The Great Wheel on Seattle’s waterfront is turning turquoise this week to bring attention to lung cancer.

The Great Wheel joins the American Lung Association in its 10-year nationwide celebration of Lung Force’s Turquoise Takeover celebration starting Monday night.

Buildings will be lit in turquoise around the country.

The Takeover celebration uses the signature color of Lung Force and encourages people to wear turquoise to stand against lung cancer.

In a release, the Lung Association says someone is diagnosed with the disease every two minutes.

Season Oltmann, Executive Director of the Lung Association said, “(an estimated) 4,780 Washington residents will be diagnosed with lung cancer.”

But there’s hope.

“The five-year survival rate has increased by over 50% in the past decade,” Oltmann said.