In early 2008, my mother, Eleanor, was diagnosed with this awful disease. This past summer I competed in a Half Ironman in her honor to raise awareness and money for the fight against pancreatic cancer. Fortunately, my mother’s cancer was caught early and was operable with the Whipple Procedure. With my fund, I wanted my friends and family to take part in my journey to compete in the Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island. The hundreds of hours I trained and the race itself, which was a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run, was NOTHING compared to the journey my mother, Eleanor, and others are undergoing. Last October, I completed a full Ironman in Florida and came in 9^th in my age group. To date, my fund has raised more than $15,000 for the Hirshberg Foundation, in honor of my mom.

To view David’s story, visit: https://pancreatic.org/memorial/bradley

Editors Note: Last year we were approached by Jinny Koffler, a young woman who wanted to honor her mother-in-law and raise money for the Hirshberg Foundation. She, along with family and friends, organized the Glenda Jane Koffler Memorial Golf Tournament, held at Sierra Lakes Golf Course in Fontana. They had 43 participants play golf and afterwards 105 people attended a banquet held at Villa Tepeyac Restaurant in West Covina. After the event, we asked her some questions about her experience.

What motivated you to host this event? Our motivation was Glenda Jane Koffler.  She was a wonderful wife, mom, grandma, and friend.  She passed away on November 30, 2005.  She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and lost her battle within one month.  She was a larger than life woman who loved her kids and grandkids more than anything.  I was lucky to have the most amazing woman as my mother-in-law.  We chose a golf tournament because we wanted to get together once a year to have fun and remember a great woman.  We also wanted to raise money for pancreatic cancer research.

Why did you choose to have the proceeds go to the Hirshberg Foundation?

We chose the Hirshberg Foundation because of the amazing work they support in finding a cure for pancreatic cancer.  Also, the personal story of Agi Hirshberg hit close to home.  She lost her husband too early in life, just as my father-in-law had lost my mother-in- law.  Agi’s husband, Ron Hirshberg, seemed like someone who enjoyed life to the fullest.  That was my mother-in-law.

What were your results? We raised $5000 through the golf tournament, banquet, and raffle tickets.  We also received money from people who were not able to come to the tournament or banquet but wanted to donate in Glenda’s memory. We were really surprised at the amount of money we raised.  We had set our goal for $2000, so you can only imagine how excited we were when we realized we more than doubled that amount.

How was the overall experience for you as the event host? My friend Chris Zessau and I worked together to make this tournament and banquet happen.  Without Chris and many others, it would not have been possible.

What do you think Glenda would have thought about your event? Oh boy, Glenda would have absolutely loved it!  Her greatest joy was watching people she loved around her having a great time.  She was happy when people were enjoying themselves, drinking some beer and eating lots of good food.  She would have been so happy.

Will there be a 2^nd Annual Event? We are planning to make this tournament and banquet an annual event.  We are already in the works to plan the 2008 Glenda Jane Koffler Memorial Golf Tournament.  We hope to double what we made last year!

Is there anything else you want to add? There is one more thing I would like to tell everyone. Just one month after my mother-in-law passed away, I became pregnant. I struggled with secondary infertility for years so we were very surprised.  We had a beautiful little girl and her name is Madison Glenda Jane Koffler, named after her nana.  And wouldn’t you know it…she looks just like her!

You thought you had a busy Fall? While most people were getting ready for the holidays, Jose’s Angels were working tirelessly on not one, but two fundraising events to support the Hirshberg Foundation.

Jose’s Angels are the friends and family of Jose Huerta, who passed away from pancreatic cancer last June. Championed by Jose’s sister-in-law, Christine Huerta, and Jose’s best friend, George Piantka, the group raised more than $12,000 for the Hirshberg Foundation in 2007 by organizing both a Golf Tournament and creating a team at the LA Cancer Challenge.

Held on November 1, 2007 at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills, CA, the 2^nd Annual Jose’s Angels Golf Tournament was a huge success. The 72 golfers and 125 banquet attendees raised $5,200 for the Foundation and an additional $2,500 for the college savings plans for Jose’s two young children, Emily and Joseph. According to Piantka, the greatest reward from the tournament was not the money raised. “More importantly, we honored Jose and embraced Gina (Jose’s widow), Emily, and Joseph. The kindness those who supported us and the high regard of Jose was felt, especially by the family and friends of Jose. “

The inaugural tournament was held November 2, 2006 as a fund raiser for Jose and his family to help with medical costs, loss of income, and college savings accounts. Reflecting back, Piantka said, “Jose loved the tournament in 2006. His energy was apparent, especially since his health (diagnosed June 2006) had improved by November 2006. His gratitude to each and everyone in attendance was expressed in his address at the tournament banquet…..where he vowed to attend in 2007. I am sure he is proud that we have pressed forward with the tournament since his passing in June 2007; and that the tournament will continue to benefit pancreatic research and his children.”

The golf tournament was just the start of Jose’s Angels busy fall. Christine Huerta organized the Jose’s Angels Team for the Hirshberg Foundation’s 10th Annual L.A. Cancer Challenge 5k/10k Run/Walk. Donning shirts, ribbons and keepsakes made by Chris in memory of Jose, the team members held a banner as they walked along the course at the VA grounds. Through her organization and collective support, $6,915 was donated to the Hirshberg Foundation through the LA Cancer Challenge website in honor of Jose.

Piantka added, “I am proud of our association with the Hirshberg Foundation and especially proud, in Jose’s honor, of our collective efforts in supporting research and improvements in quality of life in the battle against this seemingly insurmountable disease. As the Hirshberg Foundation’s motto goes, ‘You Can Hope or You Can Help™;’ and we are both hoping and helping. What it comes down to, is, as I have realized, you are never more alive than when you are helping.”

Jose’s Angels does not plan on slowing down their fundraising efforts anytime soon. They again will have a team at the LA Cancer Challenge, on Sunday, October 26, 2008. And this year, the Jose’s Angels Golf Tournament will be held the day after the LACC, on Monday, October 27, 2008. For more information about Jose’s Angels or their Golf Tournament, please email George Piantka at [email protected] or call 760-707-6833.

Chef John Thiel dreamed of opening a restaurant. His father’s passion for food and wine inspired Thiel to become a chef, and together they spoke of running a business. In the Fall of 2005, John realized his dream by opening Pappo, a Mediterranean Restaurant located in his hometown of Alameda, California. The only missing ingredient which would have made the opening perfect was his father, William J. Thiel, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2000 at the age of 59.

The one-year celebration is a significant milestone in the restaurant industry, so as Pappo’s first anniversary approached, John knew the celebration had to be unique. “We have been very fortunate since the day we opened and I wanted to use this anniversary as an opportunity to give back.” He added, “I was motivated to pay tribute and respect to my father who was unable to be a part of this dream of mine.”

John did just that. Last October, he organized a dinner party for 44 people that raised almost $6,000 for the Foundation. Held at Pappo (which means “to eat” in Latin), they charged a set price for a five-course dinner paired with world class wines from Robert Chadderdon. A silent auction was held, featuring donated pieces of art and private collections of wine. The staff at Pappo’s volunteered their time and more than 90% of the food and wine was donated from the restaurants purveyors. This allowed Thiel to keep the cost of the event down and thus maximize the proceeds he could donate to the Foundation.

“I wanted the proceeds to go directly to The Hirshberg Foundation to further the research of pancreatic cancer because that is what my father had. I thought maybe one day it could help my sister, my brothers, myself or any other family member, as I understand this cancer to be hereditary.”

After the event, Thiel described the overall experience as “great” and found comfort in the fact that so many of his friends and family would come out to support what he felt was a very worthwhile cause. “I am very happy to be in a position where I could host something like this, and I look forward to making it an annual event.”

When asked what his father would have thought of the event had he had been alive to attend, John said “I think my father would have been very proud of me and he would have loved the meal.”

Editors Note: Last year we were contacted by Hillary Cavan, a young woman from Chicago, who was training to run in the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, and wanted to raise money for the Hirshberg Foundation in conjunction with her training. After the marathon, we asked her to answer some questions about her experience.

What motivated you to train for the Chicago Marathon?

I ran the marathon for my Father who passed away from Pancreatic Cancer. Although, I never had the opportunity to meet my father I have always felt as though he is with me every step I take. He was diagnosed with this cancer when mother was eight months pregnant with me. I was born on the day of his funeral, three days after he had passed away.

Why did you choose to raise funds for the Hirshberg Foundation?

When I committed myself to this marathon there was not a charity that was closer to my heart. Having the opportunity to raise money throughout my training & running the marathon with extra support and pride is something I will never forget.  It had been 24 years but I never want my family to forget what an amazing man he was and how important it is to keep cancer research in the minds of everyone.

What were your results?

I raised just over $5,000 with the help of my loving friends, family & co-workers and I completed the marathon in 4 hours, 15 minutes!

How was the overall experience for you?

It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. My father was an amazing man and being able to raise this money in his honor was something I will hold so close to my heart. I think it helped remind everyone of how unforgettable he is and brought back amazing memories for all.

What do you think your dad would have thought about you running a marathon?

I know my Dad was with me every step of the way. My long training runs, my solo runs during the week and most importantly all 26.2 miles! It was a very cold & grey day in Chicago and at mile 23 the sun just peaked out a bit; I know that his spirit was shining down on me.

Will you ever run 26.2 miles again?

I would love to run another marathon in the near future & will definitely look forward to raising money for the Hirshberg Foundation!

Editor’s note: We wanted to share with you the story of NelsonArt, and what one young woman is doing to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer while honoring her mother’s memory.

Ann Taylor Nelson was a gifted artist who lived in Colorado, where she created vivid watercolor landscapes and still lifes. During her lifetime she was able to exhibit and sell her paintings, share ideas, and travel to Europe to develop her unique style and color sense. When she died of pancreatic cancer in 2000, she left behind over a hundred stunning watercolor paintings.

Her daughter, Amy, also an artist, was sitting at her desk shortly after her mother’s death when the idea for NelsonArt struck– by creating a line of fine art cards, she could share her Mom’s work with the world as well as raise money for a worthy cause. We are pleased to say that she chose the Hirshberg Foundation.

The cards are available to purchase by visiting www.nelsonart.net or calling 323-655-4551. Prices begin at $15.00, and a portion of all proceeds go directly to the Hirshberg Foundation. The high quality, vividly colored stationary make a beautiful gift while allowing you to help Amy in her venture to honor her mother and find a cure for pancreatic cancer.