Fundraisers

When Bob Neary passed away from lung cancer in February 2013, his family was left with immense grief. A devoted husband, father, coach, and community member, Bob touched countless lives during his 63 years. Today, more than a decade later, his memory continues to inspire friends and family through Team Bob Neary, an annual community walk that raises awareness and funds for lung cancer research.

Bob’s story is one of resilience, family, and service. He was the youngest of 8 children in a close-knit Irish family. Having lost his mother to kidney disease when he was just 7 years old, Bob understood hardship from an early age. Tragically, lung cancer would later claim both his father and Bob himself at the same age.

After moving to Houston as newlyweds, Bob and his wife Alice built a life centered on family and community. Bob worked as an investment banker at Amegy Bank and spent countless hours coaching his children’s soccer, baseball, softball, and T-ball teams. His commitment to youth sports eventually led him to serve as Commissioner of the Spring Branch Baseball Association, where he helped oversee one of the largest baseball organizations in West Houston.

“He was very involved in our children’s sporting events,” Alice recalls. “He coached their teams for many years and was always there.”

Following Bob’s diagnosis in July 2012 and his passing just 7 months after undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, his family searched for a meaningful way to honor his life.

“I had a longing to do something to keep his memory alive,” Alice said.

After attending a lung cancer walk hosted by the organization that is now GO2 in downtown Houston, an idea began to take shape. The family realized that hosting an event closer to home might make it easier for friends and neighbors to participate. Together, they created what would become Team Bob Neary’s annual community walk.

What began in 2016 as a local gathering has grown into a cherished tradition led by Alice. This year marks the walk’s 10th anniversary. Since its inception, Team Bob Neary has raised more than $32,550 to support GO2 for Lung Cancer’s mission to save lives, increase survivorship, and improve quality of life for those affected by lung cancer.

The event takes place near Terry Hershey Park in Houston’s Energy Corridor, a beautiful park that stretches for miles along the bayou. The location was intentionally chosen to make participation convenient and welcoming.

“Getting into downtown Houston is a hassle,” Alice explains. “If we started the walk at 9 a.m., people would still have most of their Saturday free.”

That simple approach has resonated with supporters year after year. Friends return each November, and family members from across the country have even flown in to take part.

“Having so many of our friends who faithfully come to our walk each year has meant so much to my children and me,” Alice said. “We have had family members fly in for the weekend to attend; it is hard to put into words how grateful we are.”

Typically, around 30 participants gather for the walk. For those unable to complete the route, there is always an invitation to join afterward for breakfast, a tradition that has become one of the event’s most meaningful elements.

After the walk concludes, participants head back to the Neary home to share a meal, reconnect, and celebrate the community that has formed around Bob’s memory.

“I love having everyone back to my house for breakfast,” Alice said. “It’s a way for me to give back and thank everyone for their support.”

The personal touches don’t end there. Participants proudly wear Team Bob Neary T-shirts, often sparking conversations with curious passersby along the trail.

“Every year during the walk, people stop and ask what Team Bob Neary means,” Alice said. “Maybe that small gesture will make someone think about donating or starting something of their own.”

For Bob’s family, the event has become much more than a fundraiser. It has evolved into a powerful source of healing.

While she hadn’t initially viewed the walk as part of her grief journey, looking back, she recognizes the role it has played.

“If by doing the walk every year, raising money and awareness has contributed in some small way to help find a cure for this awful disease, I am not only honoring Bob’s memory but maybe helping someone else and their family not having to go through the pain and suffering of losing a loved one.”

Among Alice’s favorite memories are the years when her daughter and son-in-law returned home after living in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for 8 years, where they welcomed 3 sons. Being able to walk together as a family upon their return to the United States added an extra layer of joy and meaning to the event. Alice is also deeply grateful for the steadfast support of her son and daughter-in-law over the years. She says their love, encouragement, and presence have meant more than words can express and have been an important part of the journey.

Throughout the years, GO2 for Lung Cancer has been a trusted partner in Team Bob Neary’s fundraising efforts.

“GO2 for Lung Cancer has been so supportive over the years,” she says. “They are always there to answer questions or help in any way they can.”

For anyone considering starting a community fundraiser or advocacy effort of their own, she acknowledges that it requires time and dedication. Organizing invitations, tracking donations, coordinating attendees, and sending thank-you notes all take effort.

Yet the rewards far outweigh the work.

“Every year at the end of the walk, I know it was so worth the effort,” Alice said. “Not only is it wonderful to be with devoted friends and family who show up every year, but to feel that you are making a contribution to help end cancer is the best feeling in the world.”

Looking ahead, her hopes remain simple.

“If time and health allow, I hope to continue our annual walk, to raise money and awareness, and to honor Bob for as long as possible.”

Learn more about how you can create your own fundraiser supporting GO2 for Lung Cancer. 

For Janaki and Harsha, their wedding wasn’t just about celebrating a new chapter together; it was also an opportunity to honor the past, give back, and make a meaningful impact for others facing lung cancer.

Janaki’s connection to lung cancer is deeply personal. Her late husband, Kartik, was diagnosed with stage 4 (IV) lung cancer at just 28 years old while he was still a third-year internal medicine resident. Through a targeted clinical trial for his EML4/ALK mutation, he was able to continue working for several years before passing in 2015 at the age of 34. His journey continues to inspire Janaki’s commitment to supporting others impacted by the disease.

This was a second marriage that brought together 2 families, not starting from scratch. Material gifts didn’t feel necessary, but they knew their loved ones would still want to give something. That’s when they decided to turn their wedding into a fundraiser in honor of Kartik. “Many of our friends and family were familiar with Kartik’s journey,” Janaki said. “They were more than happy to donate, and several told us they thought it was a great idea.”

Lessons learned along the way

While their fundraiser was a success, Janaki reflects on what she might do differently.

“We didn’t initially go through GO2 because we were trying to get donations matched through companies,” she explained. “But in retrospect, it would have been easier, and likely more effective, to set up a GO2 fundraising page and link it directly on our wedding website.”

Planning ahead, she noted, could have streamlined the process and avoided fees from other fundraising platforms.  

But what surprised them most was the incredible generosity of their community. “We were amazed by how much money we were able to raise.”

Tips for turning your own wedding into a fundraiser

For couples considering a similar approach, Janaki offers practical advice:

• Start early. Wedding planning gets busy, so give yourself time to set things up properly.  

• Keep it simple. A direct link to a fundraising page makes it easy for guests to contribute.  

• Spread the word beyond the website. Share your fundraiser at pre-wedding events or gatherings. Many guests won’t check every page on a website.  

• Create in-person opportunities. If you’re hosting events leading up to the wedding, like bridal showers, engagement parties, etc, consider setting up a donation box.  

• Ask for help. Friends and family are often eager to support both your wedding and your cause.  

Continuing the impact

Even beyond their fundraiser, Janaki continues to connect others to GO2’s resources and recently referred a family friend for support.

“I love seeing what the organization is doing for patients and in research,” she said. “It’s providing hope and that’s one of the most important things when facing lung cancer.”

Make your celebration count

Inspired by Janaki and Harsha’s story? You can turn your own milestone—whether it’s a wedding, birthday, or special event—into a powerful way to support people impacted by lung cancer.

Start your own fundraiser benefiting GO2 and help bring hope to patients and families who need it most.  

Learn more about how you can create your own fundraiser for GO2 for Lung Cancer. 

When Rachel S. talks about her mom, Jan, you can still feel the energy she brought into every room. Jan was hilarious, dramatic in the best way, endlessly curious, and deeply kind, the type of person who made everyone feel special. She loved through food, through knitting, and through gathering people together.

In late September 2024, Rachel and her family were blindsided by a stage 4 (IV) lung cancer diagnosis. Just months later, on January 17, 2025, Jan passed away. The loss was sudden and devastating, but her spark never faded.

Today, Rachel and her family honor Jan’s life by coming together each year at GO2’s Sacramento 5K Walk/Run in her memory, turning grief into connection and action. We sat down with Rachel to learn more about her mom’s life, legacy, and the impact she continues to have on everyone who loved her.

Tell us about Jan

If I were introducing my mom at a gathering, there’s a strong chance people would already know her – or she would have already made herself known. She was genuinely hilarious. The kind of person who could tell a story and have an entire table crying with laughter. She was loud in the best way, dramatic, animated, obsessed with true crime, and completely unafraid to strike up a conversation with anyone. People loved her. I mean truly loved her. She had fans. But underneath all of that personality was someone deeply kind and interested in people. She made you feel special. That was her magic.

What were some of the things she was most passionate about – hobbies, traditions, routines, or little quirks that made her her?

After I left for college, her best friend taught her to knit. That turned into hundreds of beanies and blankets for family, friends, grandchildren – even cancer organizations. She was also the quintessential Jewish mom – an incredible cook and host. Holidays and gatherings at our house were sacred. Feeding people was how she loved them.

Can you share a moment or memory that feels especially representative of who she was?

My mom would move mountains for my sister and me. In 1998 she surprised us with Backstreet Boys tickets and a trip to Las Vegas – and then surprised us again with a second night and front row seats. That kind of over-the-top joy was so her. After she passed, they announced a Vegas residency, and my dad, sister, and I went. It felt like she made it happen.

When she was diagnosed, what do you remember most about that time – emotionally or practically — for your family?

It was a living nightmare. One day she was healthy, and the next we were told it was stage 4 (IV) lung cancer. By the time we had answers in late September, tumors had fractured her spine, and she was in bed until she passed on January 17, 2025.

Everything was hard. She couldn’t move, so every appointment required enormous coordination. We were incredibly fortunate to have neighbors and lifelong friends who stepped up in extraordinary ways.

Even with that support, it was overwhelming. There are so many unknowns with a diagnosis like this, which is why guidance and community around lung cancer matter so much.

How did she approach life in the months that followed her diagnosis?

She was still herself. Sassy. Funny. Curious. Even from bed, she wanted to know all of the gossip. She still made jokes. That spark never left her.  

What kind of impact did she have on her family, friends, and neighbors?

The number of people who showed up for her and for us told me everything I needed to know about her impact.

She built real relationships. With neighbors. With lifelong friends. With our friends. With people she met once and somehow remembered forever. She made people feel seen and important. That kind of energy doesn’t disappear.

Since her passing, how have you seen her legacy live on in your family or community?

Her knitting is everywhere. Her recipes are still in rotation. We still host. We still gather.

But more than anything, she changed how we live. There’s a depth now. A perspective you don’t get unless you’ve experienced loss like this. We don’t sweat the small stuff the same way anymore.

Can you describe what motivated you to participate in GO2’s Sacramento 5K Walk/Run in her honor?

Grief is disorienting. I needed community and I needed direction. I needed to turn heartbreak into action. If I couldn’t save my mom, I wanted to help save someone else’s. Leading the 5K in her honor felt like the most meaningful way to do that.

What does it mean to you to have family and friends come together at this event to celebrate her life?

We formed our team just a month after she passed. It was still so raw, but we needed it.

Seeing that many people show up for her – walking, donating, wearing her name – was incredibly healing. It reminded us how much she meant and that we were helping fund real progress in her honor.

How does this event help shift the narrative around lung cancer from loss and stigma to community, celebration, and hope?

Cancer is everywhere. It’s happening younger. It’s happening to nonsmokers. It’s happening to people who “did everything right. “Events like this help dissolve isolation. They replace stigma with community. They remind families that they are not alone. And, they fund real progress.

Grief can be incredibly lonely. This makes it collective, and collective grief can become collective hope.

If you had to sum up what you hope readers understand about your mom, what would you want them to take away?

There will never be enough time with the people we love. My mom lived loudly, generously, and with joy. I hope people step away from the noise of daily life and remember that right now is what we have. Don’t wait to show up. Don’t wait to say the thing. Live bigger while you can.

Honor your loved ones by joining a GO2 5K Walk/Run near you, or by starting your own team. Every step helps fund programs, research, and resources that ensure no one faces lung cancer alone. Find an event and join us!   

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When Mike Scanlon set out on a 30-day, 700-mile bike ride across Kansas, the journey ahead of him was daunting. He had 60 trails, 50 towns, and what felt like endless gravel roads ahead of him. But for Mike, who is living with stage 4 (IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), this ride was about more than just the distance. It was about purpose and about transforming his diagnosis into something bigger.

At the heart of Mike’s journey was a principle that has guided his work and his life for years: the Athenian Oath, a commitment to leave things “not less, but greater, better, and more beautiful than they were transmitted to us.” Turning his ride into a fundraiser for GO2 for Lung Cancer and Kansas Trails Inc. was a natural extension of that belief. “I’ve always tried to live in a way that gives back,” Mike shared. “This ride felt like a way to do that — to take something personal and make it meaningful for others.”

Choosing “even if” over “only if”

Mike often described the Ride for Resilience tour as a lesson in mindset. It was one shaped deeply by his cancer diagnosis. Living with stage 4 (IV) NSCLC, he explained, can trap people in “only if” thinking: “I’ll have peace only if treatment works. Only if scans stay clear. Only if life goes back to normal.”

But the road taught him another way.

“The power of an ‘even if’ perspective is that it frees you to live with purpose no matter what happens,” Mike said. “Even if the road is uncertain. Even if outcomes aren’t guaranteed. Even if this journey reshapes your life.”

For Mike, resilience wasn’t about controlling the outcome. It was about choosing courage anyway. Pedal after pedal, day after day, that mindset carried him forward.

Trails, towns, and the strength of small places

Kansas is home to more than 4,000 miles of trails, and Mike wanted to experience as much of that diversity as possible. Riding 60 trails across 50 towns allowed him to connect not just with landscapes, but with people — especially in small, rural communities.

“I wanted to see how adaptable and resilient these towns are,” he said. “A lot of them don’t have much, but they keep showing up.”

That resilience came into sharp focus in places like Copeland, KS, population 251. A stop at the town library became a powerful reminder of shared values and of communities that quietly live out the Athenian Oath and the “even if” mentality every day. These towns, like people facing cancer, keep moving forward despite uncertainty.

Sharing the road and stories

Along the way, survivors, caregivers, and families found Mike. Sometimes it was literally on the trail, sometimes through word of mouth. They rode beside him and shared their stories.

Over the course of the ride, Mike connected with people across Kansas, creating space for honest conversations about cancer, treatment, and hope. He shared information about GO2 for Lung Cancer, including resources available to individuals and families at every stage of the disease.

“Cancer is deeply personal,” Mike reflected. “The courage it takes for people to open up always floored me.”

From a sales director at a Salina radio station to an administrative assistant at a high school in Wamego — who happened to share Mike’s same lung cancer mutation and treatment — these conversations became some of the most meaningful moments of the ride.

Hard miles and harder questions

The ride tested Mike in ways he didn’t expect, including fast farm dogs on gravel roads (most of which he could outpace, except one). But the hardest challenges weren’t physical. They were mental.

“I’ve been given an opportunity many people with NSCLC don’t get,” he said. “And I can’t waste it.”

A note from a donor, a message of encouragement, or simply the mantra JKP — Just Keep Pedaling — helped him find the answer.

The ride of a lifetime

The final day was a 93-mile ride along the Flint Hills Trail from Council Grove to Osawatomie felt symbolic. Mike saw the day as a reflection of life itself: starting early, uncertain, learning as you go, growing stronger, then feeling your body push back near the end.

And then, 2 miles from the finish, everything changed.

“I saw my grandson, Augie,” Mike said. “He wanted to ride the last 2 miles with me. And I knew his little brother PJ was waiting at the finish line with my daughter Megan.”

As Mike’s journey that day ended, his grandsons’ life journeys were just beginning, bringing the Athenian Oath full circle. “My obligation,” Mike said, “is to transmit Kansas trails — and this life — not less, but greater.”

Your turn to find your “Ride for Resilience”

Mike’s advice to anyone considering a fundraiser for GO2 for Lung Cancer is simple: define your reason.

“Mine was the Athenian Oath,” he said. “Once you know your why, invite others to help.”

Through his 700-mile journey, Mike raised more than $24,000, helping fuel GO2 for Lung Cancer’s work to increase lung cancer survival by supporting cutting-edge research, legislative advocacy, and patient support services for individuals and families nationwide.

Whether it’s a ride, a walk, a creative challenge, or something uniquely yours, your fundraiser can make a difference. As Mike’s journey shows, resilience isn’t about what happens only if everything goes right — it’s about choosing to act, even if the road ahead is uncertain.

And sometimes, all it takes is the courage to start pedaling.

Learn more about how you can create your own fundraiser for GO2 for Lung Cancer. 

Jasmine Huang, MD, is a thoracic surgeon who focuses on thoracic oncology, particularly the surgical treatment of lung cancer. As part of her responsibilities, she performs lung resection surgeries on early-stage lung cancer patients—a pathway to a cure.

Lung cancer, if found early, can be curable. That’s a big reason why Dr. Huang, the director of education and program development at Norton Thoracic Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, and co-director of the Norton Thoracic Institute Lung Cancer Program, is passionate about raising awareness about lung cancer. “Unfortunately, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and I don't think a lot of people are aware of that,” said Dr. Huang. “I've become very actively involved in educating patients and the public. We have a very robust lung cancer screening program with the hope that we can catch lung cancer early and offer people treatment so that they could potentially be cured.” Huang knows it takes a community to make a difference, which is why she’s the national chair of GO2 for Lung Cancer’s Summer Raise. Summer Raise is GO2’s annual national fundraiser, and it’s your opportunity to join others in the lung cancer community for fun and fundraising to confront lung cancer together.

Building community while raising awareness

The 5th Annual Summer Raise just wrapped up on June 22, with participants from across the country raising nearly $30,000 for the cause. “Whether you’re walking, swimming, hiking, taking a Zumba class, or something else, Summer Raise is all about getting out there, moving, and making it fun,” said Dr. Huang. Your participation and fundraising through GO2 events, like Summer Raise, help accelerate lung cancer research, provide one-on-one assistance, and navigate treatment for people with lung cancer and their care partners. These efforts accelerate cures and change this disease from one of stigma to one of hope. “GO2 is an amazing organization that puts patients first. They really help move forward knowledge and research in lung cancer with the idea that we can hopefully come up with a cure for cancer and improve people's lives.” Dr. Huang has advice for healthcare facilities looking to participate in Summer Raise and other lung cancer awareness events. “There are different things we have done to help get people involved,” she said. “Having informational tables outside the cafeteria, in our office lobby, and at the front desk can pique people’s interest.”