When
May 6 - June 30, 2024
Where
Virtual EventLos Angeles, CA view on map
Contact
Jenna SlabodnickJenna.Slabodnick@lung.org213-510-7131
Championing Lung Health
Welcome to Season Six of the American Lung Association Los Angeles Market's I Wear Turquoise Campaign.
This highly visual online campaign convenes leaders throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire, Central Valley, and Central Coast to raise critical funds and much-needed awareness for our life-saving mission.
American Lung Association is a solid investment. 90 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to its mission. As a leader in lung health, the Lung Association holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating. We appreciate your thoughtful support.
Turquoise is the color of lung health. Lung health looks like clean air. It looks like cutting edge research and therapies for lung diseases. It looks like protecting our youth from big tobacco and vaping. It looks like addressing the health disparities affecting communities of color.
Make a General Event Donation
If you would like to support the American Lung Association's I Wear Turquoise campaign without selecting an ambassador, please click the button here. Thank you!
Meet Our Ambassadors
I Wear Turquoise Ambassadors are leaders across Southern California joined in raising critical funds and awareness for lung health.
Click the Ambassador's photo to learn more.
-
Julia Choi
Julia Choi is a high school student and a tobacco-prevention advocate. As a member of CYAN (California Youth Advocacy Network) and Stanford REACH Lab Youth Action Board, she has helped advocate against the tobacco industry and organize events such as the annual Youth Quest. At this event, different tobacco coalitions throughout California come together to Sacramento to march and to talk with our respective legislators. In addition, at her school, she's part of the Girls' Golf Team and Academic Decathlon.
-
Eric Cooper
My name is Eric Cooper. I’ve been in volunteerism since I was in my teens. I would feed the neighborhood kids after my mother would go grocery shopping. I’ve always found a sense of happiness when I see others enjoying an unexpected gift of surprise.
-
Elysian Heights Arts Magnet
Elysian Heights Elementary Arts Magnet is nestled right below Elysian Park, serving both Elysian Heights and Echo Park neighborhoods. A Visual and Performing Arts elementary school, its mission is to provide a safe, nurturing, and child-centered academic environment where children develop the creativity and problem-solving skills necessary to be compassionate, curious, and responsible leaders of the world.
They host Donnovan’s Run celebrating Donnovan Castellanos, a small but mighty 4th grade student at Elysian Heights who suffered a fatal asthma attack in 2015 inspiring the conception of the run. The goal of our Elysian Heights 5K is simple: build community, inspire a healthy lifestyle and raise funds for school enrichments and the American Lung Association in honor of Donnovan and clean air for all. -
Brendan Ford
Brendan Ford is a litigation partner and mediator at Ford & Diulio PC. He litigates and mediates in the following areas: product liability, personal injury, complex business litigation, consumer class actions, and labor & employment.
-
José Gonzalez
As the Vice-Mayor of the City of Cudahy, Jose Gonzalez bridges city leadership and the world of technology with education. Jose proudly fights and works for education, health jobs, city infrastructure upgrades and economic development
-
Robb Korinke
Robb Korinke is a veteran political consultant specializing in candidate and ballot measure campaigns across California and beyond.
-
Adam Lenz
Adam Lenz leads Sustainability & Environment at Waymo, where he supports the company's mission for safer roads and expanding access to electric vehicles. Previously, Adam worked as an environmental chemist, consultant, and served in-house for local governments on climate planning, environmental management, and clean energy programs. Adam holds degrees in Chemistry and Economics from Ohio University and resides in Oakland, California, with his wife and son.
I'm proud to be a Turquoise Ambassador representing Waymo's efforts to improve air quality. As a resident who loves walking and biking, I know safer roads for pedestrians and bicyclists, and increased access to electric vehicles, are essential for healthy and vibrant communities. -
Colin Mach
Colin Mach is part of the California Emerging Leaders Council of the American Cancer Society - Cancer Action Network (ACS-CAN). He was formerly a part of the International Youth Tobacco Control spreading awareness and meeting with legislators to limit the pervasiveness of flavored tobacco in California.
-
Rodney Mardirosian
Rodney S. Mardirosian, MPH is the Senior Manager of Business Development for UCI Health working primarily with neurologists, neurosurgeons, and orthopedic surgeons. A healthcare professional with 10 years of progressive healthcare administration & clinical operations experience. Results- driven, problem-solver with a proven ability to excel in high-demand environments..
-
Marlo Palacios
My name is Marlo Palacios and I have been surviving lung cancer for over 8 years. It started off with an unusual cough that wouldn’t go away. After a few scans and a biopsy, I was diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell adenocarcinoma. Several treatments were sought over the first three years to fight my cancer. This included targeted medication, a clinical trial, radiation and chemotherapy for the last 5 years.
-
Toni Perez
I’m Toni Perez, a lung transplant survivor! In 2005, I was diagnosed with hypersensitivity pneumonitis and live in dental for 2 years. In 2009, I met Dr. Bader at the Kent Medical Center and once in his care, he reversed the disease with steroids. Unfortunately, in 2013, it came back with scar tissue and this time as hypersensitivity pneumonitis chronic, meaning was irreversible.
-
Nick Pyzow
Nick has more than 25 years of experience and international experience in Business and Public Accounting. He founded and successfully sold three businesses. His professional background brings an entrepreneurial perspective to his client service approach.
-
OJ Roque
Meet OJ Roque, a modern-day alchemist of sustainable innovation and owner of the Junkluggers of Hollywood. Armed with passion for sustainability and a +13 year background in digital marketing, OJ and his team have taken his hometown of Los Angeles by storm to be one of the fastest growing junk removal businesses in the city, all while helping its residents stay green.
-
Arash Saidi
As a Power Engineering Manager of Distributed Resources Development & Programs, Arash Saidi oversees the development of customer-centric business solutions to integrate the clean and reliable energy into the grid.
-
Michael Smallwood
Michael Smallwood is the founder and CEO of HungryFriend, a fundraising platform which aims to reimagine the old restaurant fundraising model by uniquely integrating with existing card networks to automatically capture and route donations to non-profits and community organizations in partnership with their inspired supporters. The HungryFriend network is made up of over 20 thousand restaurants throughout the country, including many locally owned small businesses that look to connect directly with inspired, purpose driven consumers.
-
Joshua Torres
Joshua Torres is a Senior Policy Advisor with Southern California Edison’s Local Public Affairs department. In that capacity, he is responsible for leading SCE’s external engagement with local governments and community stakeholders around clean energy-related policies.
-
Rona White
Hi, I’m Rona and my journey has been one of hope and self-advocacy. I'm climbing because in 2017, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Lung Cancer. I had surgery and was "cured" because it was caught early. However, in 2021, I was diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer for which there is no cure, yet. I started a targeted therapy, and the doctors were happy with the stable results. In 2022, the doctors reduced the dosage in half due to the side effects. In 2023, I was taken off targeted therapy as it was causing lung toxicity. Now I’m taking a daily chemotherapy drug and I get chemo infusions every three weeks. 2024 will be seven years since my initial diagnosis. It is my belief that seven years completes a cycle and in 2024, I will be completely healed of lung cancer. I believe research will lead to a cure.
Together We've Raised…
-
Raised:
Goal: $25,000.00
Top Participants
- Elysian Heights - $3,452.55
- Marlo Palacios - $2,903.00
- Joshua Torres - $786.00
- Robb Korinke - $500.00
- Eric Cooper - $130.00
- Michael Smallwood - $100.00
- Jose Gonzalez - $60.00
- Rodney Mardirosian - $50.00
- Julia Choi - $10.00