One of the deadliest forms of cancer is the focus of a fundraising event in central Iowa this weekend that will bring in survivors from across the state, as well as advocates and loved ones of those who’ve lost their lives to the disease.
Melinda Thach, a volunteer with the Iowa affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, says they’re expecting many hundreds of walkers for Saturday’s Purple Stride event in West Des Moines.
“People come from all over Iowa to be a part of our Purple Stride,” Thach says, “and sometimes they come from other states, too, if they’re joining family and friends at this family-friendly event.”
The gates will open at Raccoon River Park at 8 AM, events like face-painting start at 8:30, opening ceremonies are at 9, and the walk begins at 9:30. Thach says it’s easy to sign up to take part at the website pancan.org.
“People can register online,” Thach says. “There’s no fee to register for Purple Stride, and if people raise $100 or more between now and the end of May, a T-shirt will be mailed to them.”
Participants aren’t required to walk the full route, but Thach says it’s always an opportunity to bond with others.
“People can take a loop around Raccoon River Park. That’s right about a 5K,” Thach says. “If they’d like to just stay in the Event Village or sort of go out and back, they can choose their own adventure sort of thing.”
The Iowa goal is to raise $135,000, while the national goal is set at $17-million, all of which she says will be dedicated to improving the lives of those who’ve been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and toward future research.
The disease can be very fast-moving, as Thach says her mother died in 2012 from pancreatic cancer just 13 days after being diagnosed.
“The five-year survival rate has been at 13% for the last three years, but that is an improvement. When I became aware of pancreatic cancer because my mother died, the survival rate was less than half that. So it has come a long way in just the last 10, 12 years,” Thach says. “An estimated 67,000 people will be diagnosed this year in the country, and that’s about 660 Iowans.”
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can be vague and are often ignored until it’s too late. Those symptoms include abdominal pain and back pain, changes in stool, yellowing skin, weight loss, appetite loss, and a feeling of being full after only eating a little food.