Fight for Air climb happening on Sunday at Ford Field -- what to know

This Sunday at Ford Field, the stadium will be packed with people climbing stairs for a very important reason. A report from the American Lung Association was recently released that every Michigan parent needs to see. More than 1.3 million kids in Michigan are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution. In Metro Detroit, air quality actually worsened. The region ranks 9th worst in the country, with an F grade. And that’s putting kids at risk. Why? Their lungs are still developing, and they breathe more air per unit of body mass than adults. The report says poor air exposure for your little ones can lead to reduced lung growth, new asthma cases, and a higher risk of respiratory disease later in life. And this is not just a Metro Detroit problem. Across the country, 46% of children -- 33.5 million kids -- live in an area that received a failing grade on at least one measure of air pollution. That is exactly why this Sunday matters. The Fight for Air Climb is back at Ford Field on May 3, more than 1,600 stairs -- all to raise money for the American Lung Association and the push for cleaner air. Kaelyn Gates, the Executive Director with the American Lung Association, joined Local 4 Live to talk more about the climb.