At just 14 years old, New Jersey native Ryan Amendola has found a creative way to raise money for cancer. The idea came to him when, about a year after his beloved grandmother passed away from lung cancer, he decided to raise money for lung cancer research in her memory. “I wanted to make her proud and help others not lose their grandparents to cancer. Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital took great care of her, so I wanted to give back,” he said.
Ryan had begun playing hockey that summer and decided he could use his new hobby to spur his fundraising efforts. He took it upon himself to send out letters to friends and family, asking them to support him with a donation for his skate-a-thon, which he named “Blades Against Cancer.” That first year, he was pleased by the support he received. He did 25 laps and raised over $2,000.
Ryan took the money to the hospital and asked if he could use one of their fundraising pages for future skates. He has since built on his success, using social media and video messages to expand his reach and increase his fundraising. This year, he committed to an 8-mile skate, or 75 laps, at his local ice arena and invited people in the community to join him. The response was overwhelming, with over $7,000 worth of donations pouring in and many people joining him in person. “This was my best year by far. My goal was $5,000 and even after the skate people have kept donating,” he said.
In addition to fundraising, Ryan tries to raise awareness and educate people about lung cancer. His grandma was a non-smoker who was shocked by her diagnosis, and so Ryan wants others to understand that anyone can get lung cancer. “I share stats and try to point out that it’s not just people who smoke, but anyone with lungs can get lung cancer.”
He also steered fellow students in his history class into looking into the importance of cancer research funding when they did a project about public policy problems. “He looked into what was going on in the state and tried to find ways to advocate and lobby as many people as they could,” his mother explained.
This is just the beginning for Ryan who plans to continue fundraising for lung cancer research and is already planning his next skate-a-thon event. He hopes that the Blades Against Cancer skate-a-thon will become an annual tradition.
Create Your Own Fundraiser
Ryan’s story is just one example of the many Do-it-Yourself Fundraising efforts that are making a difference in raising funds for lung cancer research. Unlike LUNG FORCE Walks and other events planned by the American Lung Association, DIY campaigns allow people to be creative in finding a way to call attention to the importance of lung health. Currently four evergreen campaign ideas— Be a Lung-Saver, SMASH the Stats, Powered by Lungs and Livestream— seek to engage many different types of people.
Like Ryan who plans to honor his grandmother with each “Blades Against Cancer” skate, the purpose behind these events is to recognize a loved one who has been affected by lung disease. To help Ryan raise funds for next year, visit his fundraiser page.
Blog last updated: October 6, 2025
