Thousands will virtually walk to end pancreatic cancer, the world’s toughest cancer, on Sunday, June 28 at PurpleStride Colorado, hosted by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) Colorado Affiliate and proudly sponsored by Denver7.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers with a five-year survival rate of just 10 percent. In 2020, an estimated 57,600 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and more than 47,000 will die from the disease, making it the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.
PurpleStride is PanCAN’s most powerful vehicle for fundraising and awareness. This year is the 10th PurpleStride Colorado event, but due to COVID-19 and the vulnerable nature of the pancreatic cancer patients it supports, the event has been changed to be the first ever Virtual PurpleStride Colorado. Participants can stride at home doing their choice of activity to honor the ones they love. On the morning of June 28 there will be a virtual PurpleStride village online and participants will be able to visit each tent as if they were at the park. Links to the virtual village and opening ceremonies will be posted on Facebook starting at 8:30am. (All registrants for will receive a link to these virtual events via email the day before.) Denver7’s Tony Kovaleski will host the PurpleStride virtual opening ceremonies to kick off the event. To register, donate or learn more about PurpleStride Colorado, visit purplestride.org/Colorado.
There are nearly 60 PurpleStride events happening across the country each year. Since the first walk in 2008, PurpleStride events have raised more than $132 million for PanCAN’s pancreatic cancer research and patient services. These funds support PanCAN’s critical research programs, including its Clinical Trial initiative, Precision PromiseSM, Early Detection Initiative (EDI), precision medicine initiative Know Your Tumor®, additional field research, and other patient advocacy efforts – all to improve patient outcomes.
Kara Saldeen, Affiliate Chair of the PanCAN Colorado Affiliate, remembers the first PurpleStride in 2010 that was held in Golden as the PurpleStride/Golden Gallop event benefitting PanCAN. There were almost 500 people at that first event and almost $50,000 was raised. After a hiatus of the event for 2011, PurpleStride has been held yearly at Washington Park in Denver since 2012. For the last five years there has been an average attendance of 1,500 people raising approximately $200,000 per year.
For more information on the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and its urgent mission to save lives, visit pancan.org or follow PanCAN on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is dedicated to fighting the world’s toughest cancer. In our urgent mission to save lives, we attack pancreatic cancer on all fronts: research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy. Our effort is amplified by a nationwide network of grassroots support. We are determined to improve patient outcomes today and to double pancreatic cancer survival.
