Celebrating Our Charlotte Community’s Incredible Impact

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month - Screening Saves
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month - Screening Saves

What a joyful and hopeful day it was at this year’s 14th Annual Charlotte LUNGe Forward 5K Run, Walk & Celebration. From the energy at the starting line to the meaningful moments shared throughout the day, it was a powerful reminder of the strength of this community and the impact we’ve built together over two decades.

Thanks to this incredible community, we are thrilled to share that we exceeded our goal—raising $130,143.49, reaching 104% of our fundraising target. Your generosity and commitment continue to fuel lifesaving research and vital patient support programs. We were also proud to welcome 475 registered participants, including 23 survivors, whose strength and stories inspire us all.

A special congratulations and thank you to our top fundraising teams:

  • Danny’s Mountaineers
  • BONDed for a Cure
  • Jim’s Jammin’ Joggers
  • This One’s for Larry
  • Jamaka’s Troops 

Your passion, dedication, and support made an incredible impact. 

A heartfelt thank you to the individuals who helped make the day so special:

  • Raychelle Leonard, Event Chair, for her leadership and dedication
  • Cheryl Lecroy and Sonia Irusta, Committee Members, Survivor Friends and Family Tent organizers
  • Alex Young, DPTA, OCS with Ivy Rehab, our warm-up guru
  • Chris Ernest with AAA Entertainment, our DJ who kept the music going
  • Darrell Greene with WBTV News, our media sponsor and emcee, who kept the energy high throughout the event
  • Dr. Daniel Haggstrom, Medical Oncologist at Atrium Health, our presenting sponsor, for sharing impactful remarks
  • Julie Kelly, a lung cancer survivor and advocate, who led our survivor rally

There’s still time to make an impact! Donations remain open, so you can continue to support the event or contribute to a team of your choice. Click here to view the full leaderboard and donate.

Congratulations to all of our medal finishers for their incredible efforts on the course, especially our Male 5K Overall Winner, Brayden Jolly, and our Female 5K Overall Winner, Annie Brown. Click here to view race results.

Want to relive the excitement? Click here to browse event photos captured by our on-site photographer, Grace Fallon (Photos by Grace).

We extend our deepest gratitude to our wonderful sponsors for their generous support in making this event possible:

Atrium Health
Amgen
Pharmacosmos Therapeutics
AstraZeneca
Charlotte Radiology
Daiichi Sankyo
Bristol Myers Squibb
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Johnson & Johnson
Natera
Regeneron
Caris Life Sciences
Carolina Oncology Specialists
Genentech
Pfizer
Buck’s Ice Cream
Photos by Grace
Run For Your Life
Savor and Pour
Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck
WBTV

Thank you for being part of such a memorable celebration.