For more information about the DFW Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (@PanCAN) 💜 visit: facebook.com/share/189yEuLJA…

Today, we’re proud to celebrate our Orange County Affiliate, winner of this year’s PurpleStride Affiliate Challenge for the highest percentage increase in Champions Circle teams at #PanCANPurpleStride! 👟🏆 By the April 5 deadline, PurpleStride Orange County grew from just one qualifying Champions Circle team in 2025 to seven in 2026 — an incredible 600% year-over-year increase. What makes this achievement especially meaningful is the dedication behind it. Many of these teams raised significant funds for PurpleStride Orange County 2025 but missed the deadline to be recognized on event day. This year, the Affiliate worked closely with teams earlier in the season to help them unlock Champions Circle recognition and benefits while maximizing their impact. “Showing our heartfelt appreciation to our teams is essential to stewardship,” shared Orange County Teams Chair, Colleen L. “Fostering relationships, getting to know our teams and hosting additional fundraising events in the months leading up to PurpleStride help grow connections among teams as well.” Throughout the season, the Affiliate hosted community fundraising events including restaurant nights, bowling outings and an afternoon at the Santa Ana Zoo — bringing supporters together while raising critical funds for pancreatic cancer research and PanCAN Patient Services. “The OC Affiliate is a smaller group of volunteers who care deeply about creating awareness and raising funds for pancreatic cancer research,” Colleen added. “Our Affiliate consists of dedicated volunteers who collaborate so well to make PurpleStride Orange County a success.” Thank you to each and every #PanCANVolunteer from our Orange County Affiliate and PurpleStride teams for going above and beyond to create impact in the fight against #pancreaticcancer! Join us in celebrating them in the comments. 💜

Registered Striders who raise $1,000 by Tuesday, June 30, will become a #PanCANPurpleStride 2026 Grand Club member and earn an exclusive Grand Club lightweight hoodie! 💜 Learn more at 🔗 secure.pancan.org/site/SPage….

Host of @GMFB, @JamieErdahl, shares, "A great man is gone. 3 days after the Super Bowl, my Dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. And now, he’s not here. I loved my Dad with my whole heart. And he loved the girls in his life more. My Mom, sister, and I are profoundly sad to be without him. But I am really trying to meet my sadness with appreciation. Grateful he was MY Dad. He taught me how to play and love basketball. What it meant to be selfless point guard, and person. He gave me my love for football. He was so bright, so social, so kind, so inclusive, so generous, so wise. Growing up, I watched him make everyone’s world better. He made mine great. And I’m heartbroken he’s gone. I will love you forever, Dad." Join us in sending Jamie and her family love and support from the PanCAN community in the comments below. 💜

Join PanCAN to discuss the current moment in KRAS research — and what the newest discoveries may mean for patients now and in the future. RSVP today. 🧬 pancan.org/facing-pancreatic…

Ahead of National Cancer Survivors Day, we're sharing the story of #PanCANvolunteer and survivor John O. 💜 John shares, "I’m a 15-year pancreatic cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in 2010 when the five-year survival rate was only 6%. That year, I had the Whipple procedure. In 2012, I went back for my two-year checkup. I told the radiation oncologist, Dr. Joseph Herman, that there must be a reason that I survived this. I asked him for an organization where I could help other folks get through pancreatic cancer. He was on PanCAN’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Board and told me to look up PanCAN when I got home. When I did so, I found the affiliate here in Hampton Roads and started volunteering. I was misdiagnosed for two years. I had pain and went to see my doctor. I was on the road all the time for work and not eating well. My doctor said to eat healthier and get more exercise. My scans and blood work came back as normal, but the pain never went away. We were coming home from a family vacation and the pain was excruciating. I was jaundiced. My wife took me to a nearby doctor, and they sent me right away to the local hospital and I had a stent put in. I got pancreatitis and was in the hospital for nine days. No one at that local hospital could treat me. The only place I could go to for treatment was The Johns Hopkins Hospital, five hours away. When we got there, they knew it was pancreatic cancer right away. I then had the Whipple, followed by chemo, radiation, and more chemo. Over the 15-year period, the five-year survival rate’s gone from 6% all the way up to 13%; it’s more than doubled. I didn’t want anybody to go through what I went through. When I was diagnosed, I was bumping around in a dark room. My family had no idea what to do. It was just through the grace of God that I got directed to Johns Hopkins and was able to survive this thing. I was only 55. My kids weren’t married and I didn’t have any grandchildren. Today, I’ve got five additional reasons to volunteer: my grandchildren Ellie, Maeve, Reagan, Caden, and Riley. I just want this disease to be gone." Celebrate John and all #pancreaticcancer survivors with us in the comments. 🫶

To all #pancreaticcancer survivors: we see you, we honor you and we celebrate you today and every day. 💜

Attention all #DallasCowboys fans-want a chance to win some Roger Staubach swag & support a good cause?!? 1. Donate here: secure.pancan.org/site/Donat… 2. Be sure to write Get to Goal where it says Display my name. Let’s kick #pancreaticcancer through the end zone!

For LGBTQ patients, the anxiety of a serious illness like #pancreaticcancer can be magnified by a healthcare system that may not always be equipped to provide sensitive, competent care to gender and sexual minorities. During Pride Month and beyond, it’s important to raise awareness of the health disparities experienced by the LGBTQ community. And when it comes to pancreatic cancer, PanCAN is ready to help patients navigate the healthcare system and find the resources they need. 💜

PanCAN Chief Scientific & Medical Officer Dr. @ABerkenblit explains why we are in a new era of progress against pancreatic cancer. 🔬 bit.ly/3RPcfmy

Learn how pancreatic cancer patients and their families can benefit from supportive (palliative) care early in the treatment journey, focusing on comfort and quality of life. 💜 bit.ly/42wP4zI

Take action now to advocate for research funding increases with your members of Congress! 📣💜 pcan.at/yavvkov4

Pancreatic cancer is most often caught late. On the latest PancChat, Dr. Ray Wadlow breaks down who should be screened, what genetic mutations to know about, and how the @PrecedeStudy is working to change early detection at a global scale. Listen: youtu.be/LlaPFCDYz28

Survivor and PurpleStride Chair John O. spoke with Community Engagement Senior Specialist Paula M. about his volunteer experiences and advice for others impacted by pancreatic cancer. 💜 bit.ly/4dsNapQ

Today, on National Nurses Day, we’re honoring the incredible nurses who bring compassion, comfort and expert care to patients and families every single day. 💜 Join us in thanking every nurse making a difference in the #pancreaticcancer community and beyond.

Although #pancreaticcancer is currently the 11th most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S., it is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, after lung and colorectal. And it is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths before 2030. Because 13% survival is not enough, PanCAN has set a bold goal: Drive the five-year survival rate to 20% by 2030. We will do this by accelerating research, expanding patient support and championing a thriving field. 💜

We’re on the way to $25 million! The House Dear Colleague letter had a record-breaking 127 signatures supporting funding for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) at the Department of Defense! Now it’s time for the Senate to do the same. We need you and your community to contact your senators and urge them to sign their names in support of renewed and continued funding for PCARP. ✍️💜 Our advocacy works — make it work again for patients and families! Take action now at 🔗 bit.ly/4djzBYT.

Through the All Together We Can campaign, PanCAN is making their boldest investment yet — $250 million over five years — to accelerate research, expand patient support and strengthen the entire pancreatic cancer field. 💜 bit.ly/4cCrh7m

The PanCAN community turned the nation purple last Saturday for #PanCANPurpleStride! 👟💜 Thank you again for being part of this incredible day. Together, we can turn science into survival and change the story of #pancreaticcancer.

Great morning volunteering at #PanCANPurpleStride in Dallas-Ft. Worth 🫶💜 @PanCAN @PanCANDFW

We’re grateful to @KTLA for welcoming Star Trek’s @JonathanSFrakes ahead of PanCAN PurpleStride to share why he’s walking to end pancreatic cancer this weekend. 👟💜 Jonathan strides in honor of his younger brother, Daniel. He shares, “He and I moved to New York together. We came across the country together in a 1967 Chevy Sportvan. We listened to music together. We lived in rundown apartments together." Then, the unthinkable happened. Daniel was diagnosed with #pancreaticcancer. He died May 17, 1997, at the age of 41, just one week shy of the birth of Jonathan’s daughter. “It was quite shocking — and still is — to not have him as part of my life." Today, Jonathan honors his brother’s memory through his work with PanCAN, using his platform to raise critical funds and awareness. In addition to his brother, he is inspired by fellow Star Trek actor and dear friend @KittySwink, a 20-plus-year survivor. Together, they founded the PanCAN PurpleStride Los Angeles team, Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer — raising hundreds of thousands of dollars while helping advance PanCAN’s mission to support patients and drive research forward. Jonathan shares, “We make progress, but we have a long, long, long way to go. We need to detect pancreatic cancer earlier, so that people like Daniel aren’t diagnosed so late. We need to find better treatment options for those who are battling the disease. And PanCAN is leading the way, accelerating this progress.” Leave a 💜 in the comments if you’ll be joining Jonathan and Team Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer this weekend at #PanCANPurpleStride. It’s not too late to take the first step at 🔗 purplestride.org!