To my AMAZING Friends & Family,

I hope to express what PanCAN means to me and to ask for your continued and generous support to further a mission I couldn’t believe in more. Pancreatic cancer has a 5-year survival rate of only 13%. When I began working at PanCAN in 2018, it was only 10%. We are now steadily seeing a 1% increase each year thanks to PanCAN’s critical work, and our ambitious goal is to increase survival to 20% by 2030. While our work is endless, I never feel like I go to work. My heart bursts when I think of what PurpleStride and this community means to me. Every day, I have the opportunity to speak to survivors, meet caregivers who have lost loved ones, and work alongside passionate volunteers who dedicate their lives to creating hope during the most difficult chapters of their lives. It is a gift.

I often reflect on how blessed I am to be a tiny bridge for what someone’s volunteer journey can be; what it means for someone to not feel alone; what it means for someone to have HOPE in a fight that can feel impossible. PanCAN makes HOPE possible. We have invested more than $208 million into research over the past 20 years. Many of you have donated in prior years which helped fund 236 grants to 217 scientists at 78 institutions. For the third year in a row, PanCAN and our fearless advocates secured $15 million for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program at the Department of Defense. PanCAN Patient Services has had 418,300+ interactions to date supporting patients with life-saving information and resources. By giving, you are connecting patients with the latest treatment advances. And the list goes on.

My volunteers and the people that have come into my life through PanCAN inspire me to no end, many of whom I remember. It is unbelievable how much people can give and how great their impact can be! I am beyond grateful to witness the best examples – inspiring individuals who teach me what it means to be strong, to never give up, and to keep smiling even when life presents the greatest hurdles. Community is everything! And for a disease that can take so much, this purple family never stops fighting to increase survival.

I couldn’t be more excited or grateful to support PanCAN’s Los Angeles and Orange County Affiliates. This year, I hope to unite as many friends and family as possible again to join my team and walk to end pancreatic cancer at PurpleStride Los Angeles. It’s a hopeful, purple-filled, spirited day that brings community together! In 2024, we raised a record-breaking $1.2 Million for the fight! I cannot wait to see thousands walk the Santa Monica Pier once again and to give our all to fueling progress. I hope you’ll consider registering to join my team, volunteer, and/or donate. No gift is too small. YOU will make a difference! I love seeing and believing in what we can achieve together.

Save the date: April 26, 2025! Let’s move, groove, celebrate life, and raise critical funds to fuel progress!! Thank you so much for all you do and give with big heart! See you at PurpleStride! 

With HOPE & endless gratitude, 

Maggie