Support a Good Cause

Want to get some fresh air and exercise while you’re at it? Why not sign up for an  benefitting a cause that’s near and dear to you . That’s what I did last Saturday when I participated in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s (PanCan) 9^th annual Walk Through the Vineyards at the historic Charles Krug Winery in Napa. Over 600 people registered to walk, and the last I heard PanCan had brought in well over $115,000 for the day.

As we all know, pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers there is. I want to offer a few of the stats from the PanCan fact sheet: 

• Pancreatic cancer is the 10^th most commonly diagnosed cancer but the 4^th leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
• 94% of patients die within five years of diagnosis, and 75% die within one year.
• In the 40 years since the passage of the National Cancer Act in 1971, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer has only improved from 3% to 6%.
• New pancreatic cancer cases and the number of deaths from it are increasing, with the number of new cases projected to grow by 55% between 2010 and 2030.

I could go on, but you get the picture. We have to do more to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.

There are many opportunities to support a cause you may care about, be it breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis or leukemia/lymphoma, to name just a few. Check their websites for an event being sponsored near you. Then get out there and participate in honor of a friend or loved one. You’ll help bring awareness to the cause and raise much-needed funding for research to find a cure. And you’ll have the added benefit of getting some fresh air and exercise while you’re at it.

Sharron