• This year, an estimated 66,440 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease, 51,750 will die from it, and over 1000 in Missouri will die from it. 
• 75% will not survive one year, and 87% will not survive 5 years.
• It is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the US.
• We lost local hero, Bob Gibson, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, U.S. Representative John Lewis, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, actor Willie Garson, and pro-golfer Tom Weiskopf all in just the past few years.

Our Story:

The Fighting Irish Team was formed in March 2015 to increase awareness and begin fundraising in support of pancreatic cancer research. 

At that time, Kevin Cundiff Sr. was 61 years old and winding down a successful career in business. He was a devoted husband, proud father of 4, and loving Grandfather of 7. Retirement plans included: travel, writing stories, writing music, playing guitar in church on Sundays, jam sessions with friends, and LOTS of sideline cheering at his grandchildren’s games. He was healthy, active, and symptom-free. No one was expecting to hear his Stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis following a routine gallbladder surgery and subsequent testing. He was given 6 months to live.

He chose the hard route. He chose to take ACTION. He chose to fight. He chose to lead by example. He chose to volunteer for treatments and trials during a fight that he knew would not save his life, but would hopefully save the lives of others. He was the man with “no brakes” for 22 months before succumbing to this awful disease.

When he was diagnosed in 2015, the 5-year survival rate was just 7%. Through the efforts of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, we’ve seen that number rise to 13%! Despite this encouraging news, we still have a lot of work to do. 

We fundraise to fight against pancreatic cancer and make a difference. We fight alongside hundreds of thousands of other people impacted by this disease, and together our efforts can lead to change. Your donation will help fund research, provide support for patients and caregivers, and most importantly create hope!

We’d love it if you could make a donation, and consider joining us on April 27th, 2024 at the walk in memory of Kevin Sr. and those who went before him - and the thousands that fight on.

Please consider a donation and/or sign up to walk with us on our team page today.

We appreciate your support!

The Fighting Irish Team in Memory of Kevin Cundiff, Sr.