It’s been 1,734 days since Larry “Grampy” Steffann’s, life was prematurely stolen after his fewer than 100-day battle with Pancreatic Cancer. 1,734 days since Larry – a Husband, a Father, a Grampy, a Brother, an Uncle, a Friend, a Neighbor, a Mentor, and founder of RIoT – has been gone.

The hole doesn’t get smaller, the grief doesn’t wane, and the heartbreak doesn’t lessen for any of us. The loss of someone who was loved like Larry was - and still is - and who loved and lived like Larry, never leaves us. However, we remember to keep his memory a blessing. Part of doing that is by “Striding on for Grampy” in the Annual PanCan Purple Stride Walk.

In 2018, Larry showed up at Purple Stride to watch my sister, Lauren, and I cross the finish line. This was the first time we would participate in the PanCan annual walk in support of our Dad. He had just begun his fight against pancreatic cancer. The very first walk took place the morning following his very first chemo treatment. He still managed to show up and greet us with both his support and his larger than life smile as we crossed the finish line. If you knew Larry, this should come as no surprise.

This year, on April 29th we will walk, unified, in our 5th PanCan Purple Stride to honor Larry’s Memory and to show our solidarity towards a cause we profoundly support -  A Cure for Pancreatic Cancer. We continue his stride because He cannot. We stride to support the fight towards getting better and necessary preventive testing and treatments options for this incurable and calamitous disease. We stride with HOPE and belief that well-funded research will lead to the cure of pancreatic  cancer. 

Our goal for this year’s walk is $1,734  – one dollar for each day that we couldn’t hug him, hold his hand, call him, hear him say ‘I love you,’ listen to his boisterous laugh, learn from him, make a memory with him, or see that great big smile illuminate his face. 

We won’t be upset if we exceed our goal and hit $2,000 or anywhere north of that - neither will all the heroes who are fighting this horrible disease. 

Thank you for all your continued support. 

With gratitude,

The Steffann-Medlocks, The Primatos & “Grammy”

 #stridingonforgrampy