November 3 will be both an uplifting yet bittersweet day for me and my family. It marks the anniversary of my father Rich’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer before he died from the disease eleven months later in October 2005. This year, November 3 also marks the day more than 500 participants of all ages from across the Rocky Mountain region will join together in the spirit of hope for our Denver Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk to benefit The Lustgarten Foundation.
I never would have imagined spending countless hours all year working with more than 100 volunteers to produce an event of this size. However, winning the fight against this disease and supporting the Foundation’s mission to find a cure is our inspiration.
My father Rich was a man who loved life and when you were with him, you loved life too. He was a joyful person who enjoyed the outdoors, and treasured his family and friends. He was my mentor and hero. He was also a fighter.
Our family was devastated by his diagnosis and death but we were also determined to keep hope alive. While on a trip, my mother Meg, my sister Kara and I were inspired by a charity event and for the first time thought, why not do this back home? We decided to partner with The Lustgarten Foundation because we were attracted by their dedication to find an early detection test and a cure for this dreadful disease. Also, every single donation goes directly to advancing pancreatic cancer research.
Today, the walk our dad inspired gives hundreds of other families a way to cope with the loss of a loved one and hope to those living with pancreatic cancer. He would be so proud.
Since we launched the walk seven years ago, we have been deeply moved by the love, support and encouragement of so many others impacted by this disease. Our numbers are growing and so is our will to win. Together we can make a difference.
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