For more than three decades, one man has been making a meaningful impact in his community, combining his love for cosplay, pop culture, and charity to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for various causes close to his heart. Todd Zavorskas, a New England cosplay and comic convention veteran, is the founder and leader of Team Zombie Leader, a fundraising initiative that brings together creativity, fandom, and community engagement.
Through his energetic presence at conventions across New England, he transforms cosplay, themed photo opportunities, and interactive events into dynamic fundraising experiences that inspire both fans and talent to contribute. And with the team’s partnership with Project Purple, he is now dedicated to raising funds specifically for pancreatic cancer awareness and research following a loss that changed everything.
If you would like to support Todd and Ream Zombie Leader’s Fundraising efforts, please click here.
How It All Began
For 31 years, fundraising has been a central part of Todd’s life. He had lost his grandmother to blood cancer: an experience that inspired him to give back. While working as a teacher, Todd organized a faculty basketball game to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in her memory, combining his love of community, sports, and helping others.
He continued these efforts for many years on his own, until 2013, when a new approach to fundraising began to take shape. One of his favorite shows, The Walking Dead, inspired him when he learned about a convention called Walker Stalker, which featured talent from the show. He knew he wanted to fundraise at events like this from then on.
His first experiment was a zombie-themed 5K in Eastern Connecticut, Zombie Charge, where runners navigated a course filled with “zombies” trying to grab their flags: a fun, interactive, and unique way to fundraise. These experiences showed him that creative, themed events could be super effective, inspiring him to continue exploring these approaches and ultimately leading him to name his fundraising initiative Team Zombie Leader.
From there, Todd began cosplaying different characters for fundraising events. When friends noticed he resembled Heisenberg from Breaking Bad, it sparked his interest in portraying other characters. He discovered that cosplay provided a creative outlet while boosting his fundraising efforts, which became his new signature approach.
More than a decade later, Todd and Team Zombie Leader continue to make cosplay and convention events their primary fundraising method, participating in up to 20 events annually across New England, including comic cons, fan expos, and other pop culture gatherings.
“I’m not a typical volunteer because I do this all year long. It’s not just one event,” Todd explains. These efforts have become almost a full-time commitment alongside his part-time job; he has essentially dedicated his life to them. While he genuinely enjoys the cosplay and convention events, it’s the personal connections and the knowledge that he is supporting something bigger than himself that truly drive him.
That purpose began with his grandmother, and over the years, Todd set a goal to raise $250,000 for blood cancer research, which he achieved in 28 years including $10,000 as a New England Patriots Foundation 2022 Myra Kraft Community MVP! He had promised himself that once he reached that milestone, he would turn his attention to another cause.
So, in 2022, he chose a new mission to dedicate his unique and creative efforts to: pancreatic cancer research. As he reflected on this next chapter, he thought, what better way to honor his mother, who passed from pancreatic cancer in 2010, than by committing himself to raising another $250,000 for that cause?
A Mother’s Influence That Lives On
In the fall of 2009, Todd’s mother, Lorraine, was involved in a car accident. Shortly after, she began experiencing severe pain in her kidneys. Despite repeatedly expressing her concerns, her doctors initially attributed the discomfort to residual effects from the whiplash caused by the accident. But Lorraine, knowing her own body, felt that something more serious was happening. Her instincts proved correct, and further tests ultimately revealed a devastating diagnosis: Stage IV pancreatic cancer.
Todd recalls hearing the news on Christmas Eve of 2009. The shock of the diagnosis was devastating, as they were suddenly confronted with the full weight of the disease at its advanced stage. By that time, the cancer had already spread, and the prognosis was grim: pancreatic cancer had a survival rate of just 2% at that time.
Lorraine began chemotherapy soon after her diagnosis, facing treatment with courage. Todd recalls that his brother had originally planned to get married in the summer of 2010, but the wedding was moved up to February so their mother could attend. The celebration became bittersweet, as friends and family gathered not only to honor the couple but also to show their love and support for Lorraine. It would be the last major event she ever attended.
The experience of losing Lorraine to pancreatic cancer was sudden and life-altering, leaving a profound impact on Todd and his family. “It changed our family forever,” he reflects. Lorraine had always been the rock of the family. An Air Force wife and an interior designer, she was dedicated to supporting the family while her husband served as a lieutenant colonel.
No matter where they moved, including eight different states and even a stint in Greece, she was always there for Todd and his brother Craig, providing unwavering support. Lorraine was deeply involved in every community she joined, from officers’ wives clubs to local bake sales and charity events.
Through her tireless dedication to others, Todd saw firsthand what it meant to care for people and give back: lessons that would shape his own approach to fundraising. “She was always the one you could talk to,” Todd says. “She stayed grounded, and I like to think that I bring that to the cosplay community, where people know they can come to me.”
At his events, he strives to create a safe space where attendees feel supported and heard, a quality that was so characteristic of his mom. “She instilled in me a drive to care for people,” he says. “I like to think I inherited her empathy and the way she always put others first.” In many ways, Todd carries her presence with him at every event, letting her guidance shape how he interacts with others and acts as a rock in his own way for the community.
Turning Fandom Into Fundraising
In just four years of focusing on pancreatic cancer fundraising, Todd is already nearing the halfway point of his $250,000 goal. By the time he discovered Project Purple in February 2026, he had already raised $98,000 for various other pancreatic cancer organizations. With a calendar packed with conventions, cosplay events, and interactive fundraising experiences, Todd aims to raise nearly $40,000 for Project Purple this year alone.
The way Todd raises money is both unique and engaging. At conventions, cosplay events, and fan gatherings, Team Zombie Leader offers attendees the chance to participate in interactive fundraising experiences. The team sets up their own booth at events, often featuring professional, themed sets. Team members, now up to 25 strong, then dress in cosplay. Meanwhile, attendees and sometimes talent can take photos with them at the booth.
One popular method they utilize to raise money is through charity auctions, where fans can purchase items signed by talent both in person at events and online through eBay. These items often include memorabilia donated by actors, actresses, and artists from previous shows, as well as original artwork.
Occasionally, Todd even sells items from his personal collection to raise money. For a reasonable donation, attendees have the chance to take home these special items, turning their support into a tangible contribution. “It’s so rewarding because people are purchasing something they love, but they also see that they are also making a real difference for a cause,” Todd says.
Todd has also developed a clear and professional approach for communicating directly with talent. “Being a former teacher, I’m totally comfortable interacting with con-goers, with talent, and with their agents,” he explains. He reaches out to management or handlers with a straightforward ask: Would the talent be willing to take a photo with the charity banner to help promote awareness?
If they agree, Todd shares the photo on social media, tagging the talent, the charity, and the show, along with a donation link for anyone who wants to contribute. Occasionally, a talent with a large following will share or collaborate on Instagram, giving the campaign a huge boost: sometimes reaching tens of thousands of additional people overnight.
Other members of Team Zombie Leader contribute in their own unique ways, from building professional sets to hosting bake sales at events, sometimes raising hundreds or even thousands of dollars before the main event begins. Todd has also collaborated with other groups, such as Massachusetts Ghostbusters and Cares O-Lot Confections.
Local comic shops have also joined the effort, like Wonderland Comics in Connecticut, Todd’s local shop, which donates a portion of their June monthly sales. Nick’s Comic Strip in Massachusetts participates as well. Todd credits these partners and team for everything they do: “I’ve got some talented friends. I’ve learned over the years to have people who are with me for the right reasons.”
Giving Back, One Event at a Time
For Todd, fundraising is about more than money: it’s about using his skills and time to make a difference. “I’’m not rich (monetarily), but I am rich in my fundraising skills and willingness to give my time,” Todd says. “I look forward to going to events, engaging the public, talking with talent, and socializing. I get to see friends I don’t normally see, meet new people, and if I have the ability to help someone through fundraising, that’s what I’m going to do.”
It has been powerful for Todd to see the personal connections people have to pancreatic cancer. He recalls one memorable encounter with an actress while handing over his approach letter. She approached him later and said, “Tell me more about this charity.” When he explained, the actress started to cry and shared that someone in her family was currently battling pancreatic cancer. She then donated a portion of the money she had raised at the show to Project Purple.
Another memorable encounter was with the actor who plays Boba Fett. He shared that his grandmother had battled pancreatic cancer and survived. He paused what he was doing and spent some time engaging with Todd and the team, saying, “You’re doing God’s work. How can I help?”
Experiences like these, along with the support he receives from event organizers, friends, and attendees, continue to fuel his passion. “It feels great because I have support from the people who run the shows, from my friends who help me fundraise, and from the con-goers,” he says. “There are even people I might only see once a year, but they look for me because they believe in the cause I’m supporting.”
At the heart of it all is a deeper motivation. “I like to feel like I have a hand in fighting what took my mom away,” Todd says. “So other people don’t have to go through this.” He points to the progress that has already been made: pancreatic cancer survival rates have risen from around 2% at the time of his mother’s diagnosis to about 13% today, but he emphasizes that there is still more work to be done. “Whatever is raised, it all matters. That money could help save someone’s life in the future.”
Ultimately, it’s both the community he’s built and the memory he carries that keep him going. “It just brings me joy. I just want to make my mom proud,” Todd reflects. “I like to think she’s looking down on me and thinks I’m doing a good job in her memory.”
To support Todd and Team Zombie Leader’s mission to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research and awareness, you can learn more and donate here.
Interested in making an impact in your own community? Visit Project Purple to explore ways to get involved, start your own fundraising event, or support those affected by pancreatic cancer.
