UMD Student Lives On Through 'Zaching Against Cancer Foundation'

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- When the gesture by the University of Maryland college student who was battling cancer went viral, a new term was created.

WJZ's Mike Schuh reports, while Zach Lederer is no longer with us, "Zaching" lives on and is helping others.

Lederer, a student manager for the Terps basketball team as a freshman, started "Zaching" after his second bout of brain cancer and an operation.

"He was lying in the ICU an hour or two after surgery and he sits up in bed and he makes that pose," Zach's dad, John Lederer says. "And after he laid down I said, 'Zach what was that all about, why did you want that picture taken?' He said 'Dad, I want to make sure my friends and family knew I could beat cancer a second time, knew that I was going to be OK."

Soon, Zaching became a verb. His Facebook was flooded with other people doing the same pose.

"And it became a symbol of strength, courage, determination and hope," according to Lederer.

Within two years, cancer took Zach in March 2014.

"It's going to continue, and it's growing and we're hoping to affect more and more people," Lederer says.

One way they are planning to do that is through the ZACF Running Festival, scheduled for this weekend at Turf Valley Resort. The run is one of Zaching Against Cancer Foundation's big fundraisers.

That's right -- Zach's spur of the moment idea to show off his strength in the face of cancer lives on, through a foundation established to provide support to cancer patients and their support networks through scholarships, research and outreach.

Money raised by ZACF goes toward several college scholarships, an internship and donation to cancer research and outreach organizations.

To learn more, visit ZachingAgainstCancer.org.

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