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Thousands Hit D.C. Streets For Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

By: WAMU Staff // June 17, 2012
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Thousands of participants came out to the Purple Stride parade Saturday, including 39 pancreatic cancer survivors.
Ashley Dejean
Thousands of participants came out to the Purple Stride parade Saturday, including 39 pancreatic cancer survivors.

Thousands gathered in downtown D.C. Saturday, in support of pancreatic cancer awareness. Organizers say approximately 3,000 people walked and ran in D.C.'s Purple Stride--that's twice as many participants as last year.

There were 39 cancer survivors among the crowd, including Susan Gudeon, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.

"As much promotion and publicity as breast cancer gets, and as lung cancer gets, we're up there, and we're not getting the funding and Congressional support that we should be," says Gudeon.

According to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, more than 70 percent of patients die within the first year of diagnosis.

Many walkers, such as Wally Bethea, came in groups to support loved ones living with, or lost to pancreatic cancer.

"My team is in honor of my wife who passed away two years ago of pancreatic cancer, after a two-month battle with it," says Bethea.

The event raised more than $450,000 dollars. The money will be used to fund research, raise awareness and support families.

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