Marathon Goddess Julie Weiss to Lead “Team for Life” Fundraising Efforts

April 11, 2014 Danville, CA   Lazarex Cancer Foundation announced that it has entered into an agreement with Julie Weiss to lead the seven year old non-profit's “Team for Life” fundraising efforts through endurance sports.  In the span of a single year from 2012-2013, Weiss ran 52 marathons in 52 weeks and raised more than $250,000 in the fight against pancreatic cancer and considerable awareness through high profile media appearances on the Today Show, CNN, Los Angeles Times, O:Oprah Magazine, Runners World, Readers Digest and more.

Lazarex Cancer Foundation is restoring hope, dignity and life for end stage cancer patients and the medically underserved, providing navigation services, increasing awareness and addressing financial barriers to improve participation in FDA clinical trials and patient access to cancer care.

In 2006, Dana Dornsife founded and became president of Lazarex Cancer Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Dana first became involved in cancer patient advocacy when her brother-in-law, Mike Miller, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003. Mike had three children, the youngest of whom was only four years old. Dana and her family searched for options that would give Mike and his family extra time together and found a clinical trial treatment. Mike was treated successfully and lived long enough for his youngest daughter to remember him.

"We are very excited to be officially aligned with Julie and impressed how much she has done for a cause close to her heart. Julie and I share the pain of losing loved ones to pancreatic cancer. We are thrilled to have her on board to share our expansive mission to make sure that people who lack the means to travel to clinical trials will have one less thing to worry about," said Dornsife.

Lazarex established the Maurice Weiss Pancreatic Cancer Fund.  Twenty percent of monies raised through Julie's efforts will benefit the fund with the rest going to the broader mission.

"For anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer, we share a common wish -- to have more time with them,” said Weiss. “That is the remarkable work of Lazarex Cancer Foundation and I am deeply honored to serve as a brand ambassador and build the fundraising capacity of Team for Life.  We got this!"

Julie is set to lead Team for Life efforts at the Big Sur Int’l Marathon, Kona Marathon Events, The San Francisco Marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon and a few other races in 2014. At select races the foundation will host fundraising screenings of "Spirit of the Marathon II," in which Julie is one of the seven runners featured.

For information about Lazarex Cancer Foundation go to www.lazarex.org for Julie Weiss go to www.marathongoddess.com.

Media Contacts:
Karen Ambrogi
Lazarex Cancer Foundation
925.820.4517

Laurence Cohen (for Julie Weiss)
TLC MediaWorks
310.980.7788