Gavin DeGraw Lends His Voice To Pancreatic Cancer Research Partnering With The Lustgarten Foundation To Raise Awareness

"My mother didn't make it and unfortunately right now that's a common story. But it doesn't have to be the story permanently," DeGraw said. "By funding research, the Lustgarten Foundation is going to change the course of this disease. I encourage everyone to get involved in some way – join a walk or make a donation."

DeGraw is part of a multi-faceted awareness campaign that includes a compelling video and radio spots in nine key walk markets – Annapolis, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Long Island, New York City, Westchester, San Francisco and Seattle.

"The Lustgarten Foundation has the best people in the world working on this disease and 100 percent of every dollar raised goes to those researchers. We need to keep funding them so no one else has to suffer."

"We are incredibly grateful to Gavin for sharing his story and lending his support to the Foundation," said Kerri Kaplan, the Lustgarten Foundation's President and CEO. "Raising awareness is another important part of what we do at the Foundation."

About Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a swift and silent disease that often remains undetected until it's too late. It is estimated that more than 55,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed this year, and over 44,000 will die from the disease in 2018 alone. In fact, as the incidence of pancreatic cancer is rising, the five-year survival rate remains in the single digits. Most with advanced cancer usually pass away within a year, yet minimal federal cancer research funding is directed toward this aggressive disease.

About the Lustgarten Foundation

The Lustgarten Foundation is America's largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research. Based in Woodbury, N.Y., the Foundation supports research to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, facilitates dialogue within the medical and scientific community, and educates the public about the disease through awareness campaigns and fundraising events. Since its inception, the Lustgarten Foundation has directed $154 million to research and assembled the best scientific minds with the hope that one day, a cure can be found. Thanks to separate funding to support administrative expenses, 100% of your donation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research. For more information, visit www.lustgarten.org.

SOURCE Lustgarten Foundation