Pupatella Hosts Cancer Fundraiser In Honor Of Arlington Teenager

ARLINGTON, VA — The family of a teenager who died from a rare form of cancer almost two years ago is holding a fundraising event Tuesday at Pupatella in Arlington.

Pupatella is donating 25 percent of its sales between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. at its North Arlington location to Nathan's Cancer Slayers, a team set up by the family of Nathan Fleming in partnership with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to raise money for childhood cancer research.

Alex's Lemonade Stand is a national organization named after the frontyard lemonade stand of 4-year-old Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who was fighting cancer and wanted to raise money to find cures for all children with cancer. Since Alex died at the age of 8, the foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement.

For Tuesday's fundraiser, customers can dine in at Pupatella, located at 5104 Wilson Blvd., or order takeout. Whether dining in, calling in an order, or ordering online, customers should tell Pupatella they are participating in the Nathan’s Cancer Slayers fundraiser so that the restaurant knows to make the donation to the campaign.

Michele Fleming, Nathan’s mother, has been working hard to bring attention to the cancer that her son, a student at Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, was diagnosed with in 2018 just after his 17th birthday.

The cancer, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, is an aggressive soft-tissue cancer that grows in muscle cells. Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma found in children. Nathan died a week after his 18th birthday in September 2019.

This year, Nathan's Cancer Slayers is teaming up with the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. All funds raised by the team will support the research of Nathan's oncologist, Dr. Jeffrey Toretsky, and Dr. Aykut Uren at Georgetown, who are working to find a cure for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and are making great progress in the lab with their novel approach.

The doctors from the Georgetown Lombardi cancer center will join the family at Pupatella at 7 p.m. to speak with supporters and team members.

Fleming said she reached out to Pupatella about doing the fundraiser because it was Nathan's favorite pizza, and Pupatella is a sponsor of Nathan's team. "We are so grateful to Pupatella for their generosity and overwhelming support for our family and Nathan's team during the past year," she said.

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Members of the public can RSVP for Tuesday's fundraiser on a special site for the event, where they will find details and instructions to ensure that 25 percent of their order at Pupatella goes to Nathan's Cancer Slayers.

Fleming and her family have been holding fundraising events all summer. They held a successful Lemonade Stand at the Cherrydale Safeway on Sunday.

The family is also gearing up for a special virtual event, The Million Mile 2021, which is the biggest pediatric cancer awareness event of the year. The Million Mile 2021 campaign runs from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30.

Participants in the month-long event can walk, run and cycle to raise money that funds research to find better treatments and more cures for children battling cancer. Even pets can join.

The Nathan's Cancer Slayers team currently has 213 members, which equals $2,130 because automobile company Volvo is kicking in $10 for each member who signs for the event by Aug. 31.

On Sept. 20, in the midst of The Million Mile 2021 campaign, the family also will be celebrating Nathan's 20th birthday.

The public can join the team and make donations on the Nathan's Cancer Slayers team website and can learn more about Nathan on his Childhood Cancer Heroes page.

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