06-05-2025
30 of late Rolling Stones fan's relatives will wear "She's a Rainbow" shirts at Philadelphia Lung Force Walk
Lauren Opalisky to participate in Lung Force Walk at Philadelphia Zoo in memory of mother, Tina
Lauren Opalisky to participate in Lung Force Walk at Philadelphia Zoo in memory of mother, Tina
Lauren Opalisky to participate in Lung Force Walk at Philadelphia Zoo in memory of mother, Tina
The Philadelphia Zoo is a very special place for Lauren Opalisky and her family. This trip is a bittersweet return.
"My mom passed away early this year," Opalisky said. "And the zoo always meant so much to my family. And we would come here all the time. And so I just thought it was a perfect fit."
A perfect fit to honor her mother, who died of lung cancer in January. This year's American Lung Association Lung Force Walk will take place at the Philadelphia Zoo on Saturday, May 10. And Lauren, along with a team of 30 family members, will be walking in memory of Tina Opalisky.
"My mom had a long medical history; she had heart surgery, and so she would always get yearly check-ups, and they found out she had thyroid cancer," Lauren said. "And then one year, they just found that there was something on her lungs."
A routine yearly exam in 2021 for another medical condition detected Stage 3 lung cancer. The Opalisky family's lives were forever changed.
"Without that, she probably wouldn't have found out, wouldn't have started taking chemo, and who knows how much time she would have had," Lauren said.
Tina Opalisky, center
The Opalisky Family
Tina survived her battle with lung cancer for four until the very end.
"She was the coolest lady ever, she was up and at 'em every day doing something she loved," Lauren said.
Lauren and her family are finding solace in the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania and its Lung Force Walk that will spiral around the zoo.
"We're expecting 750 people, maybe more, so we're excited. Definitely having it here at the zoo is a very great way to get people more engaged and interested in the cause," said Caroline Hutchinson, executive director of the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania.
"I'm only 25 years old, so not having my Mom is really hard. And so at least I can talk to other people that are in similar situations," Lauren said.
The Opalisky family will be sporting their team's T-shirts during the walk – a team name lovingly inspired by Tina's love of The Rolling Stones.
The Opalisky family will be wearing these T-shirts commemorating Tina Opalisky, a huge fan of The Rolling Stones. The shirts say "T's a Rainbow," a reference to the song "She's a Rainbow."
Lauren Opalisky
"We based it off The Rolling Stones' song 'She's a Rainbow,' it's 'T's a rainbow,'" Opalisky said. "That's our song, because she was like a rainbow."
Learn more about the Lung Force Walk and get involved at
