{"id":1949014,"date":"2025-08-08T09:34:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T09:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1949014"},"modified":"2025-08-08T09:34:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T09:34:15","slug":"tv-stars-walk-the-walk-from-coast-to-coast-at-pancan-purplestride-the-ultimate-walk-to-end-pancreatic-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/tv-stars-walk-the-walk-from-coast-to-coast-at-pancan-purplestride-the-ultimate-walk-to-end-pancreatic-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"TV Stars Walk the Walk from Coast to Coast at PanCAN PurpleStride, The Ultimate Walk to End Pancreatic Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Nicholas Nissen, MD, Team Captain of The Cedars-Sinai Whipplers, joined Star Trek actor and 21-year pancreatic cancer survivor, Kitty Swink, to cut the purple ribbon at PanCAN PurpleStride Los Angeles with Lisa Niemi Swayze, writer, director, actress, dancer and wife of the late actor, Patrick Swayze.<\/p>\n

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Reality Star Joan Vassos, \u201cStar Trek\u201d Team, Days of our Lives\u2019 Martha Madison & Cast Members and Lisa Niemi Swayze Take Steps to Raise Funds and Awareness for Pancreatic Cancer<\/h2>\n

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (APRIL 28, 2025)<\/strong> \u2013 This past Saturday, April 26, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)<\/a> held its biggest fundraising event of the year, PanCAN PurpleStride,<\/a> the ultimate walk to end pancreatic cancer. PanCAN PurpleStride took place nationwide in nearly 60 cities as survivors, supporters, celebrities and special guests walked in solidarity to raise awareness and much-needed funds for pancreatic cancer, one of the world\u2019s deadliest forms of cancer. It is the number one way PanCAN raises funds to fuel its mission and the dollars raised change the lives of people facing pancreatic cancer and advance progress against the disease. Nearly 63,000 people across the country attended, raising nearly $16.5 million towards fighting the disease.<\/p>\n

Pancreatic cancer remains the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and is on track to become the second leading cause. It is the only major cancer with a five-year survival rate below 20%. Because symptoms are often vague and mimic other illnesses or conditions, most patients are diagnosed in the late stages of the disease. There is no standard screening strategy for pancreatic cancer and few treatment options, highlighting the urgent need for increased research, funding and awareness to improve patient outcomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are supporting PanCAN\u2019s critical work \u2013 giving patients and caregivers the resources and knowledge they need to navigate this disease through PanCAN Patient Services; funding research to find a way to detect this disease earlier and find better treatments for patients; and advocating for more federal funding for this disease because we know science follows money,\u201d said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, president and CEO, PanCAN at PurpleStride Los Angeles\u2019<\/a> opening ceremony. \u201cEvents like PurpleStride are more important than ever right now because of recent cuts to federal funding for pancreatic cancer research. We desperately need both public and private funding for this disease to ensure scientists have the resources they need to drive progress and improve patient outcomes, so thank you again for being here today and taking action.\u201d <\/p>\n

From coast to coast and across the television spectrum, notable figures joined the fight. Joan Vassos was a featured speaker at PurpleStride Washington D.C<\/a>., while actors from Star Trek, including Kitty Swink, John Billingsley, and TV writer-producer Juan Carlos Coto, who lost his brother, \u201cStar Trek Enterprise\u201d Executive Producer Manny Coto, to the disease, along with Lisa Niemi Swayze and Days of our Lives\u2019 Martha Madison and many of the cast of the show participated in PurpleStride Los Angeles<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cPanCAN provides critical resources, research, and support\u2014and in doing so, gives the one thing John clung to most: hope,\u201d said Joan Vassos. \u201cI walk in honor of John, alongside family and friends as Team \u2018It\u2019s Just a Sprain,\u2019 and I advocate so that no other family has to go through this terrible journey alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notable celebrities showed up to walk and support PanCAN\u2019s mission in several cities across the country:<\/p>\n

At PurpleStride Washington D.C, Reality star and advocate, Joan Vassos<\/strong> led her team \u201cIt\u2019s Just A Sprain\u201d<\/a> in honor of her late husband, John, who passed away from the disease in 2021. <\/p>\n

At PurpleStride Los Angeles, Daytime TV stars Martha Madison<\/strong> from Days of our Lives and many of the Days\u2019 cast members<\/strong> formed their own PurpleStride team, \u201cHogey\u2019s Home Runners<\/a>\u201d in honor of TV\u2019s greatest hero\u2014and their on-screen dad\u2014Drake Hogestyn, who portrayed John Black. After losing Drake to pancreatic cancer, they came together at PurpleStride Los Angeles to raise funds and awareness in his memory.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Other notable celebrities at PurpleStride Los Angeles included:<\/p>\n