curePC.org
100% of every donation will go to finding a cure.
Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal cancer there is.
100% of every donation will go to finding a cure.
Only through research will we find a cure.
Why We Fight
Click on an image below to read their inspiring story
Join us. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.
Every year, more than 36,000 loved ones are lost to pancreatic cancer. It's the most lethal cancer there is. Just six percent of those diagnosed with this deadly disease survive more than five years. But there is hope that with more research, a cure will be found.
And, this past summer, 5,000 strong walked with the hope and the determination that more research will lead us to a cure at The Lustgarten Foundation's 10th Annual Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk in Long Island, New York. More than one million dollars was raised, with 100 percent of all donations going directly to pancreatic cancer research, thanks to Cablevision's support of The Lustgarten Foundation.
At this record-breaking walk event, many inspiring individuals also came together to join curePC, The Lustgarten Foundation and Cablevision's public awareness campaign, by participating in the filming of a special public service announcement. These extraordinary individuals shared their personal stories about why they've joined the fight against this deadly disease. Now, in honor of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, we're sharing their personal stories with you through television, print and online public service announcements.
- Watch the new curePC "Why We Fight" television PSA airing this month across Cablevision's media and entertainment assets, including its iO cable television service; nationally on its AMC and WE tv networks; and in its 46 Clearview movie theatres.
- Learn more about these determined individuals who are fighting in memory of loved ones lost to pancreatic cancer.
- View our latest curePC print ads.
- View the PSAs of other extraordinary individuals who have joined The Lustgarten Foundation and Cablevision in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
Together, we can beat pancreatic cancer. Join us in the fight.
Richard Armenia
Richard Armenia
Twenty years ago I lost my mother, Concetta Armenia, to pancreatic cancer. Back then, we knew nothing about this disease. This past May, my cousin, Patricia Ehlers, who was 44 years old at the time, succumbed to the same deadly disease. Twenty years have gone by with few improvements in the treatments. I am dedicated to supporting and volunteering for The Lustgarten Foundation and to fighting for a cure. No one should have to go through what my family has gone through.
Being a part of the curePC campaign means a lot to me. It has given me an incredible opportunity to raise awareness about this horrible disease and to give people hope. The Lustgarten Foundation is making great progress and I feel good knowing that all of the money I help raise goes directly to advancing research.
Annette Regan
Annette Regan
One of the worst things I remember about my mother, Carmela Cettina, being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer was this feeling of helplessness. I come from a family of problem solvers and this was not a problem we could solve. I still remember the day she was diagnosed and it felt like we had been handed a death sentence. We tried anything and everything to see if it would make a difference. But she passed away after only three months.
I saw a print ad so we participated in the very first Lustgarten Foundation Walk in 2001 and we've been walking ever since as "Team Dragonfly." And because everyone loves and needs a good laugh, I launched a comedy fundraiser in 2002 that now takes place every year in honor of the Foundation. The best part is that every penny my family and I raise goes directly to the Foundation to support research. When I saw all the signs at the Walk with people talking about who they had lost, I got all choked up. But I feel great to be a part of the curePC campaign. We need more and more people to be aware of pancreatic cancer and to help us beat it.
Serena Richardson
Serena Richardson [pictured third from left]
My father, Willie Richardson, was a force of nature. He had incredible physical, mental and emotional strength. He came from absolutely nothing and created a life for our family that motivates us to this day. So when we got the diagnosis in 1987, we were in shock. How could such a healthy man, who only missed work once in his life, have pancreatic cancer? We had never heard about pancreatic cancer, much less knew what it meant.
Last year, I heard a public service announcement on the radio with Marc Lustgarten's daughter talking about how she lost her father to the same disease. And I was surprised to learn that this disease can affect anyone, and that there was an organization trying to do something about it. So I made a donation to the Foundation and then decided to take it one step further. My family graciously joined me for our first Walk this year as the "Pop Pop Raiders" team. We named our team after the name my children called my father as they were growing up. They're adults now and they still miss him, as we all do. We carry on his legacy as a family that never gives up, no matter what the odds. God took my father so he wouldn't suffer anymore. It is our turn now, with Cablevision and the Foundation, to carry on the fight.
Venessa Muoio
Venessa Muoio [pictured center]
My dad, Frank Muoio, was a great guy. He was funny, kind, a fantastic chef, and a beloved restaurant owner. He was the rock of my family. Then he went to the hospital one day due to some weird symptoms and the next thing we knew he had pancreatic cancer. We were reeling from the news. But he brought me up to be a fighter, so I kept doing all this research to try to find a way I could help. A few weeks after he was diagnosed, I saw an ad for The Lustgarten Foundation's NY Walk. I pulled together a team last minute and we went. He was so proud. We brought back pictures to the hospital and told him all about it. Then just eight days after my first Walk – on August 4, 2003 – he was gone. My friends and I have been walking ever since as "Frank's Fighters."
I link curePC.org to my Facebook page and tell whoever I can about the work the Foundation and Cablevision are doing. And now that I have joined the curePC campaign, I have another reason to remind everyone about the fight to find a cure. I know my dad is watching and I still want to make him proud.
Antonio Vozzolo
Antonio Vozzolo
I was very close to my grandmother, Iolanda Vozzolo. I grew up in a mother-daughter home with her living upstairs until the age of 10, and then frequently spent weekends with her for years afterwards. She always inspired me with her faith, her dedication to family and most of all, her strength. But in February of 1999 she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and she passed away just eight months later. The sad fact is she lasted longer than most people who get this disease.
Just after her death, I saw a public service announcement featuring Jimmy Carter and right away I made a donation to the Foundation. Then I participated in the Foundation's first New York Walk 10 years ago, and have been walking with my family, friends and also the clients of my hair salon, ever since. It is an amazing feeling to be asked to participate in the curePC campaign and to see all these people who have lost someone they loved come together. My grandmother's faith made her last as long as she did and her faith guides my family to keep fighting for a cure.
RoseAnn Simeone
RoseAnn Simeone [pictured center, top row]
My husband, Matt Simeone, touched so many lives. As a longtime member of Long Island's Nassau County Police Department, he was an inspiration to all and made a positive impact on everyone who crossed his path. There were so many people who attended his funeral as he was loved by so many. To this day, wherever I go in Nassau County, they still talk about him. He had so much positive energy.
Matt passed away in March 2009 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. I found out about the Foundation in July 2009 during Nassau County's Purple Dome Lighting Ceremony held in honor of Matt. I then brought my family and friends to participate in their New York Walk that same year and formed the "Simeone Warriors" team. During the Foundation's 10th anniversary Walk, I was thrilled to film the curePC campaign's PSA for November's Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month. Matt was such an inspirational person; it's his memory that keeps inspiring me to continue fighting.
Madeline Pugliese
Madeline Pugliese [pictured right, top row]
The first time I heard about The Lustgarten Foundation, I was watching a News 12 scroll announcing their very first Walk. I was so happy to find out about an organization doing something about this horrible disease. I had lost my mother three years before to pancreatic cancer. As a doctor, I found it extremely difficult to see the deterioration first hand. So, at eight months pregnant with twins, three small children in tow, my husband and father, we walked our first walk and have been walking ever since.
In addition, we host an annual garage sale fundraiser, and my five children run a lemonade stand. Getting involved has a very important and positive impact on them. I know how generous Cablevision is and how every penny we help raise goes directly to research.
We were so excited to participate in the curePC PSA. I have seen the curePC campaign's PSAs on television before and I always find it so uplifting. The work of the Foundation is so important and it's comforting to know that thanks to research advancements, an early detection test could be found in the not too distant future.