First Annual Rocky Cares Foundation Golf Tournament

The Rocky Cares Foundation (RCF) was launched in early 2024 as a 501c3 nonprofit public charity to honor Raquel (Rocky) Elardo; a Heritage High School grad and Loudoun County native who was a bright, beautiful, and brave young woman who lost her 5-year battle to Ewing sarcoma in February 2024.  Our mission is threefold, RCF aims to honor Rocky's life and legacy by raising awareness and funding to support Ewing sarcoma research for a cure, to provide Rocky Elardo Legacy Award(s) to a senior(s) at Heritage High School that embodies Rocky's qualities of intelligence, athleticism, and kindness, and lastly spreading Rocky's sunshine throughout the community.

Ewing sarcoma accounts for about 1% of childhood cancers with less than 3 kids per million diagnosed per year. According to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, pediatric cancer is the number ONE cause of disease-related deaths in children under 19 and only 4% of the Federal Government’s total cancer research budget goes to pediatric cancer research.  Rocky’s Ewing protocol was created in the 1970’s…YES, the 70’s!  We must do better!  Only together and with private funding can we help innovate better treatments for Ewing.  We are her Village, and we will continue her Fight!