Marla Shapiro Marla Shapiro and her daughter, Dana, will run in the Baltimore Running Festival on Saturday with Team Fight and the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. The pair raised about a couple thousand dollars for cancer research this year.

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A mother-daughter pair has joined up to fight cancer.

Marla Shapiro and her 12-year-old daughter Dana, both of Rockville, are raising money to participate in the Baltimore Running Festival with Team Fight, a program designed to help people raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults as they train for endurance races.

Shapiro began competing in triathlons a few years ago, sparking her daughter’s interest in similar events.

Now, Dana signs up for fundraising events herself, such as 24 Hours of Booty, a 24-hour bike ride benefitting the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Ulman Cancer Fund, and the Columbia Kidz Triathlon.

“I feel so lucky to have a kid who gets this,” Shapiro said. “She really gets it at a level that isn’t typical of a lot of 12-year-olds. I love the impact that she has and continues to have and I can only hope that will be an example for other kids.”

The pair raised about $2,000 this year for cancer research, Shapiro said. And they will participate in the Baltimore Running Festival on Saturday together.

Participating in events involving hundreds of people running for a cure is an eye-opening experience for any kid, Shapiro said.

“It was just a really powerful way for a kid to see the impact of what they’re doing.”

To learn more about the Ulman Cancer Fund and Team Fight, visit www.ulmanfund.org.

abryant@gazette.net