Family Does Restaurant Deal Fundraiser to Fight Cancer

Rica Mendes and her children, Zach and Ariella, have lost friends and a relative to cancer. In reaction, the South Salem family teamed up with Thursday to do a benefit fundraiser.

The deal involved allowing for customers to print out an online flyer and present it at Applebee's in exchange for donating 10 percent of the customers' payments to the LIVESTRONG Foundation, founded by cyclist Lance Armstrong. The goal is to raise $25,000, and so far $5,000 has been raised, according to Mendes.

Mendes and her kids will be participating in this October's LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin, TX. She and Zach will do a bike ride being run by Lance Armstrong - their second year doing so - while Ariella will participate in a 5k run, which is her first.

The kids also spent time earlier this week raising money at Scotts Corner Market in Pound Ridge, passing out flyers for the Applebee's event, as well as wristbands.

The three have seen cancer impact them personally. Mendes recalled losing two coworkers at Mary Kay: Darlene Berggren, who inspired her to get involved with LIVESTRONG, and Carolyn Davis. The family also lost a relative to cancer, Mendes' grandmother, who is the kids' great-grandmother, and the father of Zach's friend succumbed as well. In addition, Ariella will be running in memory of a girl named Zoe Anyan, whose mother became friends with Mendes after she passed away.

Mendes, referring to the impact of cancer on her children, said "it’s just a shame that both of them have been touched."

A similar event will be held on June 28, .