Presented by UCI Health, the American Cancer Society will host our Orange County Gala on March 8, 2025. The evening will celebrate the progress the American Cancer Society has made in the fight against cancer and the hope that continues to drive us forward. Guests will enjoy an epic evening including entertainment, delicious cuisine, and unique auction experiences.
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. We are the only organization improving the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
The American Cancer Society is excited to bring together our incredible Orange County community as we celebrate the work we’ve accomplished towards our vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
The evening celebrated how we are improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
Leadership
Cori and Zak Salazar have shared eight beautiful years of marriage in Mission Viejo, CA, where they joyfully raise their three daughters. Together, they created a children’s YouTube channel, “The Ranger Zak Show,” inspiring kids to explore nature. Their seemingly ordinary life changed in May 2023. Cori’s cancer journey began when a biopsy revealed a fast-growing thyroid cancer. After multiple surgeries, she now takes daily medication and undergoes regular scans.
While Cori was recovering, Zak began suffering from severe headaches. A routine eye exam uncovered the truth: a 76.7 mm malignant tumor in his right frontal lobe. After an emergency craniotomy, Zak was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Astrocytoma Grade 4—a chronic cancer that, while treatable, remains ultimately incurable. Since then, he has undergone radiation and chemotherapy while returning to his work as a Park Ranger, preserving Orange County’s resources.
Throughout this challenging journey, Cori and Zak have drawn strength from their faith, family, and friends. They are committed to advocating for a future where securing childcare and therapy no longer burdens parents facing cancer. Together, they pray for a miracle and express their heartfelt thanks to the American Cancer Society for its dedication to patient support, advocacy, and research aimed at ending cancer as we know it, for everyone.
As the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, discovery, and patient support, the American Cancer Society has made significant contributions to the fight against cancer over the last 110 years. We advocate for lifesaving policy changes, promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent cancer, and provide information, answers, and support to people in every community who have been touched by cancer. We also research cancer and its causes to find more answers and better treatment. Yet, there is still work to be done – which is why we are so glad you have joined us tonight! The American Cancer Society continues to work tirelessly to fund research and provide support for all types of cancer. And thanks to your generous support, we work to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
Every cancer. Every life.
For more than 10 decades, the American Cancer Society has been dedicated to pursuing better outcomes for every cancer, every life. Today, more people are surviving cancer than ever before, but there is still work to be done. Join us, support us, and help us end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
invested in cancer research in California as of 2023
five-year survival rate for all cancers combined
lives impacted in California in 2023
