CELEBRATING 32 YEARS OF LAUREN'S RUN & PICNIC

For the last 31 years, hundreds of families have gathered to walk and run in support of CURE Childhood Cancer, raising more than $6.2 million for lifesaving pediatric cancer research. Lauren’s Run & Picnic, presented by AutoNation, truly brings the community together, with families, schools, and companies forming race teams to support our fight.

After the race, participants, as well as families diagnosed with childhood cancer, join together for the CURE Annual Picnic. The CURE Picnic is a day unlike any other! Dozens of games, prizes, elaborate face painting, enormous inflatables, music and dancing, arts and crafts, a full lunch, and so much more. The CURE Picnic is a reunion for our families and a day of fun for all.

What is Lauren’s Run & Picnic? 

Each year, more than two thousand people gather to walk and run in support of CURE at Lauren’s Run & Picnic, in memory of two special girls named Lauren. The event truly brings the community together, with families, individuals, schools, and companies forming teams to support the fight to cure childhood cancer. Beginning with a 5K and 2k run/walk, the race is followed by a family-friendly picnic, complete with food, a live DJ, inflatables, carnival games, arts and crafts, and so much more. The CURE picnic is a reunion opportunity for our families and a day of fun for all.Since its inception, Lauren’s Run has raised more than $6.2 million in the fight against childhood cancer. Proceeds from Lauren’s Run & Picnic are used to advance research and provide support to impacted families. 

Is this an AJC Peachtree Road Race Qualifier? 

YES! Lauren's Run is an AJC Peachtree Road Race Qualifying Race.

The Concourse Office Park
4 Concourse Pkwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30328
(Near I-285 and Peachtree Dunwoody Road)

Schedule 

7:00am-9:45am         Race Day registration and number pick up  
8:00am                        5k Run
9:00am                        5k Awards
9:45am                        2k Fun Run / Walk
10:30am                      Tot Trot (Ages 4 & Under)
10:00am –12:00pm  CURE Family Picnic

What's included in the registration fee? 

• Lauren’s Run t-shirt

• Gold, bronze and silver medals for top 5K finishers in each age division.

• Full Picnic, games, arts and crafts, DJ, inflatables and much more!

• Great satisfaction in knowing you are making a difference for children with cancer.

Where can I mail in checks?

CURE Childhood Cancer 
Attn: Lauren’s Run 
200 Ashford Center North, Suite 250 
Atlanta, GA 30338

Do Patient Families register for free? 

Yes! 4 free registrations for families whose children are fighting or have fought cancer.
Please, immediate family members only: parents, siblings, patient/survivor.
CURE FAMILIES USE DISCOUNT CODE: CUREFAMILY2026

CURE Families that are only attending the picnic (and not participating in the 5k/2k), please contact Lisa Odendahl at lodendahl@curechildhoodcancer.org 

How do I become a CUREleader?

When you raise $1,000 or more to help children fight cancer, you automatically become a CUREleader. As such, you are among the most dedicated, knowing that you have the power to make a difference in the lives of kids who need all of us to be fighting for them. In addition to the pride and sense of accomplishment knowing that you will have becoming a CUREleader, we also include a few perks. *Becoming a CUREleader is based upon individual, not team, fundraising results.

Fundraising made easy! 

It's simple, copy and paste one of the following templates below and share on social! 

RUNNERS/FUNDRAISERS/PARTICIPANTS 

Below are downloadable graphics and suggested copy that you can add and share to your social, or e-mail and or send out via text.

Social post options for asking friends to register

• I'm running Lauren's Run & Picnic on April 26, and I want you there with me. This race means something. Every mile helps @CUREchildhoodcancer fund research and support families in their toughest fight. Plus, it is incredibly fun (inflatables, food, great people). Run with me? Message me or find my team at laurensrun.org.

• April 26. Mark your calendar. I'm doing Lauren's Run & Picnic and you should too. Where else can you fight childhood cancer and spend the day on giant inflatables with your kids? It's a 5K/2K followed by the best family picnic in Atlanta. Seriously, don't miss it. Register at laurensrun.org or join my team!

• I’m excited to be a part of something that really matters on April 26. I’m running in Lauren's Run & Picnic to help kids fighting cancer. I’d love to have you out there with me. Whether you're a runner or just want to be part of something meaningful (and fun), let's do this together. Message me or sign up at laurensrun.org.

• Did you know that more than 17,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer every year, and the treatments for most childhood cancers are decades old? I don’t think that’s right, and I’m doing something about it. On Sunday, April 26, I’m running in CURE Childhood Cancer’s Lauren’s Run & Picnic, and I’d love for you to run with me. Message me or visit laurensrun.org to sign up. {Insert your personal URL} 

Social post options to encourage fundraising

• I'm trying to raise [GOAL AMOUNT] for Lauren's Run & Picnic – not because it's easy, but because these families need us. Here's what your donation does: funds research for better treatments, provides meals for families in the hospital, and offers counseling to parents and kids in the fight. Can you chip in? Any amount helps. {link}

• Update: I'm [X]% to my [GOAL AMOUNT] goal for Lauren's Run! That's [AMOUNT RAISED] that will help kids fighting cancer and their families. I need your help closing the gap. Even $10 or $20 makes a real difference. Donate here: {link}

IF YOU ARE SPONSORING THE EVENT

Below are downloadable graphics and suggested copy that you can add and share to your social, or e-mail and or send out via text.         

Copy and paste these suggested templates for FACEBOOK and LinkedIn 

• We're proud to sponsor @curechildhoodcancer's Lauren's Run & Picnic on Sunday, April 26, at Concourse Office Park. This isn't just an event, it's a race to fund groundbreaking cancer research and support families fighting the toughest battle. Join us as we run, celebrate, and make a real difference in the lives of children with cancer. Register at laurensrun.org.

• Every step counts in the fight against childhood cancer. That's why we're sponsoring Lauren's Run & Picnic on April 26. Whether you run the 5K, walk the 2K, or join us at the finish line for an incredible family picnic, you're helping CURE Childhood Cancer fund life-saving research. Be part of something bigger. Learn more at laurensrun.org

• Atlanta's biggest day of family fun is April 26. Lauren's Run & Picnic brings together runners, families, and supporters for a single purpose – ending childhood cancer. As a proud sponsor, we're inviting you to join us at Concourse Office Park for races, massive inflatables, face painting, lunch, games, and the chance to help kids who need us most. Register at laurensrun.org.

Copy and paste these suggested templates for Instagram(tag @curechildcancer, and we will add to our story)

• We're all in for the fight against childhood cancer. As a proud sponsor of Lauren's Run & Picnic, we're standing with families who need hope most. Join us on April 26 at Concourse Office Park, where every runner, every dollar, and every moment of community support brings us closer to a cure. Visit laurensrun.org.

• When you run for a cause, you run for something bigger than yourself. This April 26, we're sponsoring Lauren's Run & Picnic, a day that combines serious purpose with serious fun. 5K/2K races and an epic picnic with inflatables, face painting, lunch, and games, all while supporting CURE’s mission to fund groundbreaking research. Bring your crew. Make memories. Change lives. laurensrun.org

• Communities uniting to change lives. That's the power of Lauren's Run & Picnic. We're honored to sponsor this incredible event on April 26 and invite you to join us at Concourse Office Park. Whether you're a serious runner or just here for the inflatables and face paint (we see you), you're making a difference for kids fighting cancer. Register to run with us at laurensrun.org!

   

  Feel free to mix and match elements from different options to suit your brand's voice.

  
  
  

Be sure to tag us! 

FB: @curechildhoodcancer

IG/Twitter: @curechildcancer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/12953281/

#curechildhoodcancer

#laurensrun

IF YOU ARE A TEAM CAPTAIN     

Recruitment E-mail Template

Calling all team captains! Begin building your team by reaching out to co-workers, friends, family members to join! Use the e-mail template below to get started. 

Dear {insert name here}

Did you know that more than 17,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer every year, and the treatments for most childhood cancers are decades old? I don’t think that’s right, and I’m doing something about it. 

On Sunday, April 26, I am running in CURE Childhood Cancer’s Lauren’s Run & Picnic. Not only does this event celebrate and honor children who have been affected by cancer, but it is also a very important fundraiser. In its 31 years, it has raised more than $6.2 million to fund lifesaving pediatric cancer research and support families in the fight of their lives. 

Would you join me in this critical mission? 

One easy way you can help is to walk or run at The Concourse Office Park in Atlanta. Lauren’s Run & Picnic is a blast, and I’d love it if you’d join my team and sign up to run or walk with me. If you don’t want to run, I would be grateful for donations, big or small. Just $100 will feed 10 hospitalized kids and their parents. Sometimes the meals CURE provides are the only meals parents get that day.

If you’d like to donate, please go to my team page, {enter team name here} to make a donation and help us continue our fight against childhood cancer.

Sincerely, 

{Your name}

When sharing on social, feel free to download one of the above graphics to add to your page! 

Get ready for the ultimate post-race celebration! The CURE Picnic is not your ordinary gathering! It’s filled with endless fun and excitement for race participants and families who have been impacted by childhood cancer. With an array of exhilarating games, loads of amazing prizes, incredible face painting, massive inflatables, toe-tapping music and dancing, arts and crafts, a scrumptious lunch and plenty more surprises in store, the CURE Picnic promises to be a blast! 

ENJOY A FULL LUNCH FEATURING:

 CHICKEN SALAD CHICK & AWARD WINNING BBQ AND MUCH MORE!

Become a sponsor and enjoy:

• An exciting opportunity to connect your brand with a 50-year-old, dynamic organization with deep community ties and a trusted reputation
• The chance to share your brand with 2000+ participants as well as CURE’s large social following of nearly 400,000
• The ability to have direct engagement with participants and brand association beyond race day
• An opportunity to engage your employees and families in an important cause
• Most importantly, the opportunity to help children and their families devastated by a cancer diagnosis. Through research funded, your sponsorship can save the lives of precious children now and in the future

THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS

The story behind Lauren’s Run & Picnic

Lauren’s Run & Picnic was inspired by two special girls named Lauren, who each battled cancer. The event carries on today in each of their memories. Janis and Marvin Zagoria started Lauren’s Run at Zoo Atlanta in 1994 in memory of their daughter Lauren, who died after a courageous battle with neuroblastoma. A few years later, the Zagorias were joined by Heather and Gil Kochman, who lost their daughter, also named Lauren, to the same cancer. Together the two families have continued leading this inspirational event along with many long-time volunteers and families who participate year after year.

Since those early days, hundreds of families have gathered to walk and run in support of CURE, raising more than $5.8 million for lifesaving pediatric cancer research.

Lauren Zagoria

 
 
Lauren was a perfectly normal child. Her eyes were the deepest blue imaginable, brimming with curiosity and intellect; they were the focal points of a little girl’s beautiful face. Total strangers would stop to marvel at her beauty and ask whether her hair was natural. She was a child who was easy to adore.

In retrospect, though, her beauty was fragile; her eyes were those of an old soul.

In 1991, when Lauren was just 21 months of age, a new vocabulary was introduced into her world – a litany of words full of dread, horror, and very little hope. A perfect daughter diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a particularly brutal pediatric cancer that to this day has beaten doctors and researchers and remains a nightmarish disease with no cure.

Literally overnight, Lauren’s world changed from dolls and birthday parties and the security of her home to medical teams and punishing treatments and the insecurity of hospitals. Doctors, residents, interns, and nurses, scanning, invading, and almost always delivering one more bit of bad news, chipping away one more piece of her family’s collective soul. And the loathsome chemotherapy – how it changed her. It robbed her strength, stole her hair, deformed her body, and deadened her deep, blue eyes. From bone marrow biopsies without anesthesia to twice-a-day radiation treatments, she bore it all with a courage, bravery, and dignity well beyond her years. She never complained; she never quit; she never stopped loving or trusting those who cared for her. After 14 long months of struggling, the disease was just too big for one little girl.

In the end, Lauren left us a legacy. It is in her memory and her honor that her family carries her fight forward each year with Lauren’s Run – committed to finding the cure for the disease that took this beautiful child from us.

Lauren Kochman

Lauren too, was a perfectly normal little girl with no signs of illness or disease. She was so full of life and enjoyed every minute of her short time on earth. She always had a twinkle in her eye and a smile you could see peeking from behind her “binky.” The thing her family remembers most is her love of music – she loved music and loved to dance

One December morning the Kochmans’ lives were forever changed. What they thought was a common stomach virus turned into their worst nightmare. Lauren was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. She was only 16 months old. Lauren was immediately admitted to the hospital to begin what turned out to be a never-ending round of procedures: surgeries, blood tests, bone scans, bone marrow biopsies, chemotherapy, and more.

Lauren was so strong and brave; after each invasive procedure she quickly bounced back to her happy, loving self. She never lost trust in her family. Her illness forced her into maturity; in some strange way she seemed to understand what was happening and knew her time here would be brief.

Lauren’s treatment went extremely well; her family had high hopes for her recovery. She took chemotherapy with ease. Her doctors called her the “chemo poster child” because she rebounded so quickly after each round. However, after Lauren’s fourth round of chemo, she became extremely sick. Her immune system was too weak to fight off the illness. She fought hard, but could not recover.

Ironically, it was the treatment, not the cancer, which took their little girl’s life.

Even though it is difficult, they decided they must go on – but on a different course with different priorities. They now feel the need to help fight for a cure for cancer and prevent this awful disease from taking another child’s life. In Lauren’s memory, her family continues the fight the Zagorias started with Lauren’s Run.

*Peachtree Road Race Qualifying Event! 

4 free registrations for families whose children are fighting or have fought cancer.

Immediate family members only: parents, siblings, patient/survivor.

CURE FAMILIES USE DISCOUNT CODE: CUREFAMILY2026

CURE Families that are only attending the picnic (and not participating in the 5k/2k), please contact Lisa Odendahl at lodendahl@curechildhoodcancer.org