San Diego PurpleStride attendees hold hands up in heart-shaped gesture at pancreatic cancer walk

Participants raise their hands in the form of a heart to honor everyone affected by pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer survivors raise their hands together at Cincinnati walk to raise funds

Survivors being honored at PurpleStride Cincinnati.

Family and friends from across the country gathering to support a loved one diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Volunteers bringing about the first pancreatic cancer walk in their community.

Thousands of ‘purple people,’ full of energy and excitement, walking to celebrate friends and loved ones affected by the disease.

Western New York PurpleStride team raising funds at walk in Buffalo to end pancreatic cancer

Team Harry at the inaugural PurpleStride Western New York in Buffalo.

These are just a few of the special moments that took place Sept. 28-29, a milestone weekend highlighted by eight PurpleStride events. PurpleStride, the walk to end pancreatic cancer, is the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s (PanCAN) volunteer-led signature event.

The 5K walk/run events raise money to support PanCAN’s mission to improve patient outcomes and increase awareness about the disease nationwide.

Smiling PurpleStride Nashville supporters gather together at the walk to end pancreatic cancer

PurpleStride Nashville 2019 participants show their support in their purple gear.

PurpleStride Western New York, Portland, San Diego, Iowa, Nashville and Cincinnati hosted their walks on Saturday, Sept. 28, while Columbus and Louisiana hosted their walks on Sunday, Sept. 29.

These events collectively welcomed approximately 10,600 participants and are estimated to have raised more than $1.6 million for the cause.

It was an exciting weekend for all, particularly for the inaugural PurpleStride Western New York presented by M&T Bank. Over 1,000 individuals attended the first PurpleStride event in Buffalo to honor the pancreatic cancer community, and their total fundraising effort is estimated to reach around $187,000.

PurpleStride Louisiana had the largest turnout in their event’s history with more than 1,000 participants in purple gear at City Park in New Orleans. PurpleStride events in Iowa, Nashville, Cincinnati and Columbus jointly had more than 5,000 participants come out to support those affected by the disease.

On the west coast, PurpleStride Portland honored 48 survivors – a record number for the event! PurpleStride San Diego wasn’t too far behind with 42 survivors in attendance at the beautiful Mission Bay Park.

PurpleStride wouldn’t be possible without the passion and participation of PanCAN’s volunteers, survivors, caregivers, fundraisers and researchers.

Thank you to everyone who came out to each of the walks, and for those who donated and fundraised to fight the world’s toughest cancer. Your support allows PanCAN to provide vital services for patients and their families. PurpleStride isn’t the only thing we do, but everything we do depends on it.

Contact a Patient Central Associate
PurpleStride takes place at over 55 locations nationwide. Join the fun and make a meaningful impact in the fight against pancreatic cancer. Find a PurpleStride event near you and register today!