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Rasheed Marshall understands the secondhand effects of cancer well. First his mom, Joycelyn, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. It came back in 2015 and eventually metastasized (spread) to her lungs. Soon after, his brother-in-law Romain was diagnosed with brain cancer. They both passed away the same week.
“It was tough for the entire family when we learned mom’s cancer came back. She didn’t want to go through treatment again—which is why she didn’t tell us about it right away—so when we found out, it was already late-stage and she was put in hospice care until her passing. Romain was then diagnosed with brain cancer around that same time and only given 3-4 months to live,” says Rasheed.
This past November, designated as both Lung Cancer Awareness Month and Alzheimer's Awareness Month, Rasheed hosted his first-ever comedy show— Laughs for Lungs and Minds Comedy Show. The show was a fundraiser for LUNGevity, in honor of his mother, as well as the Alzheimer’s Association, in honor of his late grandmother Ruby.
"We had between 150-200 people attend this first show in Atlanta. We had staff from LUNGevity and the Alzheimer’s Association there, so they were able to say some words and share important information with the audience,” says Rasheed.
Community work and the entertainment industry aren’t new to Rasheed. He’s taken part in food and clothing drives for the homeless through his fraternity, volunteered with the Atlanta-based Pebble Tossers organization, and worked with the Meals on Wheels food delivery program.
“I have a history of acting and performing, and after COVID I wanted to bring more comedy to Atlanta—that’s why I started my entertainment company. The show in November was our first one, and it came with a lot of challenges, but we learned a lot too,” says Rasheed.
While no specific date has been set for the next show, Rasheed knows there are plenty more in his future.
“It was easy to get help for our first show because of the causes we were supporting. We’re going to be doing more comedy shows in the future, always with a fundraising link to different nonprofits,” says Rasheed.
See how others are raising money and awareness for lung cancer: