Our calendars are packed with Fall events – great ways to get involved and make a difference for the pancreatic cancer community. We recently held the 9th Annual Tour de Pier, our first in-person event since March 2020, and it was so great to see friendly faces in-person and come together as a community to make a difference for those facing cancer. We look forward to more warm embraces and catching up at the LA Cancer Challenge and our Purple People Party at the LA Marathon. With both in-person and virtual options for all our events, we’re uniting across the nation to raise awareness, especially during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in November. There are many opportunities to get involved, so let’s finish the year strong as champions in the fight to cure pancreatic cancer!
Seed Grants
In August, we received our Seed Grant applications from Italy to Ohio, Yale to MD Anderson. Scientists and researchers around the world stand at the ready with brilliant ideas to help change the face of this disease, thus it is crucial that we fund as many of these projects as possible. We have spent the last 24 years funding the groundwork research to better understand this disease. Real progress is being made, and our research team at UCLA is hopeful that over the next 10 years there will be leaps and bounds in diagnostics and treatment options. New opportunities and scientific advancements are on the horizon, and we look forward to funding them with your support.
Fall Events are Here!
Our mission to unite generations, young and old, through physical fitness is back to in-person activities! Our Foundation events help fund research, educate the public about pancreatic cancer and provide an opportunity to honor our loved ones as we unite as a community. Learn more about our upcoming events and join us in-person or virtually
Tour de Pier
The 9th Annual Tour de Pier returned to Manhattan Beach on Sunday, September 12th and it was a magical, emotional, and powerful reunion after so many months apart. Announcing that we surpassed our $1 million dollar goal during the final hour made the day all the more impactful. You can relive the wonder of the day and ride again and again with our livestream.
24th Annual LA Cancer Challenge 5K Walk/Run, Sunday, October 31, 2021
It’s October which means the LA Cancer Challenge is around the corner! We are excited to reunite at UCLA and across the nation on October 31st. Whether you run, walk or stroll, your participation helps ensure we can provide crucial patient services and drive research towards a cure. Grab your costume, sneakers and recruit your friends – be a hero for the pancreatic cancer community this Halloween!
Hirshberg Training Team 2021 at the LA Marathon, Sunday, November 7, 2021
Join us as we cheer on our Hirshberg Training Team runners at the Purple People Party along the LA Marathon course on November 7th – during National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month! Sport your purple gear, come ready to cheer and get a 2nd hand runner’s high. You might even decide to join the team as a runner for 2022!
Purple People Party at the LA Marathon, Sunday, November 7, 2021
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Run the 2022 LA Marathon with the Hirshberg Training Team, Sunday, March 20, 2022
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Whether in-person or virtually, there are so many great ways to get involved and raise pancreatic cancer awareness.
Honoring our UCLA Researchers at the LA Cancer Challenge
The LACC Honorary Medical Chair position is awarded to a professional whose exemplary work in pancreatic cancer has benefited both medical and patient communities. We’re excited to announce that Dr. Zhaoping Li, Chief of the Division of Clinical Nutrition, has accepted our invitation to be LACC Honorary Medical Chair. Nutrition can be a contentious topic for many patients navigating a diagnosis and side effects, but Dr. Li’s compassion, knowledge, and warm personality make each event outshine the last. Whether she’s speaking at our Symposium or hosting a nutrition webinar, she always has patients’ best interests at heart. We are thrilled to welcome her as LACC Honorary Medical Chair and grateful to have her walk and fundraise on the UCLA Health Sciences Team!
Patient & Family Webinar Series Finishes with Dr. Isacoff in advance of our 2022 Symposium
In July, we concluded our season of Patient & Family Webinars with an extraordinary discussion with Dr. William Isacoff. Dr. Isacoff spoke about low-dose chemotherapy and the work he is doing to develop more effective and less toxic treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer. While his approach is at times unconventional and goes against the current guidelines, Dr. Isacoff’s webinar was filled with hope and the promise to provide patients with better outcomes.
Our webinar series, which began when COVID made holding our Symposium in-person untenable, has grown into a library of 19 video resources. With topics ranging from pancreatic cysts to cannabis, caregiving to genetic counseling, clinical trials to our nurses guide to navigating a diagnosis, these video are a valuable resource for our pancreatic cancer community. As we look toward the year to come, we are optimistic that we will be able to safely gather again for our Symposium at UCLA on April 23, 2022. Providing both an in-person and virtual opportunity to gather, learn from one another and create bonds through a shared experience, our Symposium is a keystone of the work we do. However you choose to join us, we hope to see you on April 23rd.
The work we accomplish is possible because of your support, through donations, participation and raising awareness. Every donation helps drive research, provide patient programs, and ensure that no one feels alone with this disease.