In Memory of Joan, June and Lisa

This year will be my 16th LA Cancer Challenge race, benefiting the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer. As most of you know, I lost my Mom, Joan Tucker, to this devastating disease 31 years ago, this past July. One of my dearest friends, Lisa Berger lost her life to this disease at the young age of 45 years old, just 15 years ago this past July. Along with my Mom and Lisa, I lost my mother-in-law, June Ellin 14 years ago August to other circumstances. These 3 women have touched my life in different ways and I continually dedicate my run to all of them.

This year marks the 26th anniversary of the LA Cancer Challenge, which takes place on Sunday, October 22nd at UCLA.

I am so excited to share with you, that my name was just recently placed on a plaque at the UCLA official donor wall at the Hirshberg Foundation labs, in tribute to Joan Tucker. To date, I have individually raised $327,064 for the foundation.

In 2019, I was honored at the LA Cancer Challenge race, as one of the individual top fundraiser. Last year I raised the most I’ve ever raised for a race bringing in $39,563. Please help me surpass that amount this year and get to $45,000. I know my mother is looking down and smiling on all the fundraising efforts I have made to find early detection and a cure for this devastating disease.

In supporting my goal, you are helping the mission of the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer, which is to find a cure for pancreatic cancer. The Hirshberg Foundation is the first foundation in the world created specifically for pancreatic cancer research and to date has raised over $10.2 million for research and education. Currently pancreatic cancer is the third-ranked cancer related deaths in the US among both men and women surpassing breast cancer and has the highest mortality rate of all cancers. In 2023 an estimated 64,050 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and more than 50,550 will die from this disease. Despite this, the federal government invests less money in pancreatic cancer than any other leading cancer.

Pancreatic Cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. For all stages combined, the 5 year relative survival rate is 12%. Even for the small percentage (15%) of people diagnosed with local disease, the 5-year survival is only 44%. Seeing this marked improvement in survival rates shows that we're headed in the right direction in making a difference in the pancreatic cancer community. Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death largely because there are no detection tools to diagnose the disease in its’ early stages when surgical removal of the tumor is still possible. Research continues to advance but only because we continue to fund it which is why Hirshberg Foundation is so important to support.

The funds raised by the LA Cancer Challenge, support the Hirshberg Foundation Seed Grant program for the Hirshberg Foundation patient and family support programs. For many years, many researchers have remained committed to determining the cause of pancreatic cancer but more and more, we're seeing projects shift towards curing the disease. The grants that Hirshberg receive are from doctors in internal medicine, pharmacology, bio medical engineering, surgery, genomic medicine and radiation oncology.

I plea with you all to support this very important cause that is increasingly affecting more and more of us every year. Early diagnosis and more treatment options to increase survival rate is imperative for pancreatic cancer. Each seed grant funded is a stepping stone to saving lives.

You can join me at the race to run or walk on October 22nd, along with sponsoring me. Please visit my personal page to donate at http://support.pancreatic.org/goto/nancye. If you wish to mail a check, please make check payable to “The Hirshberg Foundation” and mail it to 2990 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Suite 300C, Los Angeles, CA 90064. Please include my name in the memo line of your check to ensure that I receive credit for your donation. The foundation’s tax ID number is 954640311.

If you have any questions about the Hirshberg Foundation, please visit www.pancreatic.org. To learn more about the LA Cancer Challenge, please visit www.lacancerchallenge.com.

I am humbled by your consistent support and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your “never give up” attitude while we search for the cure! My commitment to fight for a cure is a promise I will continue to keep.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Warmest Regards,

Nancy Ellin