About Us
A life long non-smoker, Joan Gaeta was a devoted wife, teacher, and mother of five. Diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2004, she fought a three and a half year battle before succumbing in July of 2007.
During that time, Joan stressed the need for greater awareness of lung cancer (the number one cancer killer in the world), its low survival rate, and its tragic lack of research funds. She was most passionate about eliminating the stigma of the disease, since lung cancer also strikes non-smokers at a high rate.
The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund was created in the fall of 2007 as The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation by her husband and children to raise awareness of the disease, to educate the public, and to be an advocate for research. We also strive to eliminate the stigma of lung cancer and to support survivors and their loved ones in our local community.
We do all this primarily through our annual fundraiser, Dancing for Joan, in conjunction with an annual appeal.
In July of 2010, we re-established ourselves as the The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund benefitting the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI). Our ultimate goal remains the same: to eradicate lung cancer. However, we firmly believe that partnering with one organization and research initiative is the most efficient and productive use of our supporters' donations.
You can learn more about this new partnership here.
