What does November mean to your Affiliate?  In Boston, November has meant PurpleStride.  Although we are not gathering for PurpleStride this month, Boston will be  looking into the future for our own Affiliate community, trusting  the bold decisions of PanCAN, and embracing the positive opportunities of a national PanCAN PurpleStride on April 30, 2022.
 
November Awareness is important for our PanCAN organization and this year, Affiliates can implement some of our great ideas successfully. This year, Boston’s Mission Committee has collaborated with our Communications team and PurpleStride Committee to raise awareness each day of the month with different activities on social media.  It is a chance to connect with and recruit Patient Champions in New England, engage new volunteers, maintain and build relationships with teams and our PanCAN community.
 
Some examples of our new November Awareness activities include PurpleLight: We are excited to host a virtual event. Partnering: Ipsen, our Presenting Sponsor, has supported many of our November Awareness activities in Boston as does our sponsor, Immunovia. Purple Mondays:  We encourage individuals to wear purple on Mondays and post on social media. Purple Pipeline:  Daily social media posts to raise awareness about PanCAN and pancreatic cancer that people can share on their own pages.  Activities for kids as well. Promotion: Several businesses in MA have offered to have donations made to PanCAN in the month of November. Pampering:  A special virtual event to honor caregivers. Progress:  Meanwhile, we are planning a successful PanCAN PurpleStride.
 
Other affiliates are also shifting how they are increasing awareness for November Awareness Month. For example, the Philadelphia Affiliate is using social media to get the word out about pancreatic cancer. Miss Outstanding Teen Pennsylvania will tell her story and connection to pancreatic cancer. There will also be highlight stories shared from patients, families, doctors, nurses, researchers and caregivers. 
 
The Orange County Affiliate has also continued to make a strong impact. Some of the events the Affiliate and local organizations are doing to increase awareness include a Virtual PurpleLight. Noble Ale Works in Anaheim, Calif., is hosting a "Pints for PanCAN" event which supports their team for PanCAN PurpleStride Orange County. Noble Ale Works will donate a portion of the sale of their beers. The Ontario Reign hockey team will be hosting "Hockey Fights Cancer" night. In addition, Affiliate volunteers distribute hundreds of purple ribbons for local businesses to wear on World Pancreatic Cancer Day on November 18. Finally, with the help of Orange County Talk Radio and Roberta Luna, the Affiliate has increased local and national messaging on the "Living Hope: Your Journey with Pancreatic Cancer" show.
 
By sharing a few examples of local action, nationwide impact, with HOPE, our Affiliates will continue to move forward together with a positive approach to advocacy, awareness and fundraising as we create a brighter future for all pancreatic cancer patients.  At the end of the day, this is what matters most.
 

• Submitted by Janice Griffin, VAC Committee Member