Laura and Krista at their Cupcake Baking Event

Meet Laura Rodriguez, a mother, survivor, and champion for the lung cancer community. When Laura was diagnosed with stage IV ALK+ lung cancer in 2012, her world forever changed. Today, she shows no evidence of disease (NED) thanks to biomarker testing and targeted therapy treatments. Laura and her daughter, Krista, know firsthand the importance of lung cancer research, so they have dedicated the past five years to raising awareness and funds to help fight the disease.  

We sat down with this mother-daughter duo to learn more about their experience as SoCal Walk/Run team captains working to get us one-step closer to a cure.

What has surprised you most about your fundraising experience so far?

DIY Cookie Bags

We host bake sales to help reach our walk/run fundraising goals. We are continually amazed at how many orders receive! This year, our holiday cookie decorating party attracted more people than we could fit into our house, so we changed it up and sold DIY cookie decorating kits to accommodate all our supporters. Bake sales are an easy, fun, and yummy way for people to support our cause year after year.

What advice would you give to someone who has never fundraised?

Our advice would be to find a hobby you enjoy, or something in which you know family, friends, and/or coworkers would love to buy or participate in to help you raise money. It is also helpful to time your fundraiser strategically. We do our cupcake sales the week of Thanksgiving, so even if someone would not eat the cupcakes themselves, they can always take them as a dessert for the holiday.

What is your favorite aspect of fundraising each year?

As much as we love bringing in money to support our cause, we really love raising awareness in our community. We’ve found that people are typically shocked to learn that Laura is a stage IV lung cancer survivor! Day-to-day she seems like a healthy coworker and friend and they don’t realize that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. Each conversation helps break down the stigma.

Do you have any tips for other team captains?

Don’t feel that as a team captain you have to do everything. We have other team members who help us reach our goals through their own fundraising efforts. It also never hurts to ask. In the beginning, we often didn’t ask everyone to donate or fundraise with us. Over the years we have learned that they might say no, but that they usually say yes!

How have you benefited from the GO2 for Lung Cancer programs that you fundraiser for?

As a family, we have benefited from the wealth of knowledge and information that GO¬2 Foundation makes available to patients. The time after diagnosis can be quite scary, so being educated about the steps doctors were taking (including biomarker testing) was lifesaving.

Krista and Laura turned their passion into progress—and you can too! Check out our list of upcoming walk/runs across the country and start your own fundraising team today.

Don’t see a walk/run in your area? Independent fundraisers allow you to host an event or promotion to benefit GO2 for Lung Cancer’s free programs for survivors and caregivers. No matter where you live, you can make a difference! Click here to start your own fundraiser today.