A walk to raise awareness and funds for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or PANCAN, is being held today (Saturday) in Webster City. Organizer Jody Moats lives in the northwest Iowa town of Akron but is a Webster City native. Over 18 days in 2006, she walked from Sioux City to Dubuque to raise awareness about the disease. This year, Moats is running what’s being called Purple Stride Iowa.
Moats says her body told her she couldn’t do the statewide walk again and her husband and daughter deserved a better vacation than watching her walk along the side of the road, so she came up with the new event as an alternative fundraiser. Moats’ father was Darwin Hartnett of Webster City who died in 2005 from pancreatic cancer. Moats says the event starts this morning.
Registration runs from 7:30 to 8:45 AM with the walk starting at 9. People can walk three, six or 12 miles on the new Boone River Recreation Trail. This event, Purple Stride Iowa, had been known as Hike Iowa for Hope. Moats hopes plenty of people will turn out, as there is no registration fee, though fundraising is encouraged.
She says the walk is to honor those who have died from the disease and those who are still fighting, while raising more money for research. The Boone River Recreation Trail will also be dedicated today, linking Webster City and Briggs Woods Park. For more details on the walk, call (712) 490-5570 or visit: www.pancan.org/purplestrideiowa .