Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Raises Unprecedented $1 Million At PurpleStride® Washington, D.C., The Walk To End Pancreatic Cancer

Generous Donor Support, Including the Largest Gift from a Single Contributor to PurpleStride Washington, D.C., the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation, Contributed to the Organization Reaching this Milestone

News provided by

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

Jul 09, 2019, 12:17 ET

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., July 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) announced today that its PurpleStride Washington, D.C. 2019 event has raised more than $1 million, a fundraising milestone for the organization's national signature 5K event. Celebrating its 10^th anniversary, the walk had record attendance on June 8 with 3,600 participants, 53 pancreatic cancer survivors, 308 teams and 140 Grand Club members. Thanks to a $170,000 contribution from the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation, the largest gift ever from a single contributor to PurpleStride Washington, D.C., in addition to generous donor support, Washington, D.C.'s walk to end pancreatic cancer was the first to reach this notable achievement.

PurpleStride is PanCAN's most powerful vehicle for fundraising and awareness, with 60 events happening across the country each year. Of the nearly $40 million PanCAN raised in fiscal year 2019, which ended June 30, PurpleStride events across the country brought in $14 million and recently made the Peer to Peer Forum's "Peer to Peer Fundraising Thirty" list. PanCAN will use the funds to advance critical research programs, including its Clinical Trial initiative, Precision Promise℠, Early Detection Initiative (EDI), precision medicine initiative Know Your Tumor®, additional field research, and other patient advocacy efforts – all to improve patient outcomes.

"This is an exciting milestone for PanCAN," said PanCAN president and CEO, Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA. "We know it is the first of many PurpleStrides that will raise more than $1 million, and we are extremely grateful to all the donors, and especially the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation, for making it happen."

Pancreatic cancer is the world's toughest cancer. It is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States with an estimated 45,750 dying this year from the disease. It has a five-year survival rate of just 9 percent.

Attendance at PurpleStride events and awareness of pancreatic cancer has been on the rise recently, due in part to high-profile celebrities such as Alex Trebek and Aretha Franklin, who have been affected by the disease. However, despite this trend, pancreatic cancer research continues to be underfunded and there remains an urgent need to increase both private and federal funding.

"My hope in making this large gift is that other philanthropists will follow our lead," said Peter Kovler, president of the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation. The Foundation gave PanCAN one of its initial largest gifts over 13 years ago. "We continue to support PanCAN because of the positive impact they are having on patient outcomes."

To learn more about PanCAN and its programs and services, visit pancan.org and follow us 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.

Media Contact:
Julie Vasquez
Public Relations Manager
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Phone: 310-697-9129
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Pancreatic Cancer Action Network