In Conversation: April Schoenberg, Mission Committee Member, Kansas City Affiliate
Kansas City Mission Committee member April Schoenberg spoke with Community Engagement Senior Specialist Paula Mukherjee about her personal connection to PanCAN’s mission and her passion for supporting survivors in her community.
Paula: What is your connection to PanCAN’s mission?
April: In 2018, my dad, Dennis Fullman, was having health issues for several months, but the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. When he became really jaundiced, he went to the hospital and a blockage in his bile duct was discovered.
During emergency surgery, the surgeon found a tumor. My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Valentine’s Day.
That started my family’s journey of fighting pancreatic cancer alongside my dad’s doctor, Dr. Jaswinder Singh. He and his staff had a relationship with PanCAN and he’s the one who introduced us to the organization.
We formed a PanCAN PurpleStride team and walked in PanCAN PurpleStride Kansas City in 2018.
Paula: How was the experience of attending PurpleStride for the first time?
April: We were moved by how many people were affected by pancreatic cancer. While we felt the reality of the difficult situation we were facing, it was also encouraging to be around other people who were going through the same thing. We felt a lot of solidarity.
Attending the event together reinforced my family’s mission to support my dad and help him fight this disease. He was diagnosed in February, and the event was in May that year, so we hadn't been dealing with the diagnosis for very long.
We felt so loved and cared for by the Kansas City PanCAN community and volunteers. It was a bright spot in a difficult time.
My dad’s condition improved for a while and then worsened. He had a variety of treatments, but he ended up being ineligible for the Whipple procedure, which was deeply disappointing for us.
We decided to participate in PurpleStride 2019 and brought back our team, Superman’s Squad. We wanted to work hard and become one of the event’s top fundraising teams.
Sadly, my dad passed away the week before PurpleStride. We ended up having his funeral on the day of the event.
We decided to still attend PurpleStride and walk together while wearing our team Superman capes. We then went to my dad’s service and wore our capes there as well. Everyone saw how much the PanCAN community meant to us. It was very meaningful for my family.
Paula: How did you become involved as a PanCAN volunteer?
April: It was a personal invite from the affiliate chair of the Kansas City Affiliate, Lindsey. She reached out to encourage me to volunteer. I’m forever grateful for that.
I accepted and began connecting with survivors in our community and helping with the survivors’ tent at PurpleStride.
I knew that my dad wanted our family to continue supporting PanCAN and helping others.
Paula: It sounds like you are particularly passionate about supporting survivors.
April: Watching my dad’s pancreatic cancer journey through diagnosis and treatments is part of it; I want to help others who receive pancreatic cancer diagnoses process the news and learn that there’s a community who understands and cares.
I also think about going to my first PurpleStride and meeting survivors and hearing their stories. In Kansas City, we are fortunate enough to have a few very long-term survivors. We have a 27-year survivor. We have a 15-year survivor. It deeply impacted me to hear from these survivors and it’s really inspiring for others as well.
These experiences motivated me to turn something painful and hard for my family into something good for others.
Paula: How do you support survivors throughout the year?
April: After several years of volunteering in the survivors’ tent at PurpleStride, I realized that I didn’t want to wait until the next PurpleStride to connect with survivors. I decided to stay in touch during the year and create another opportunity for survivors and caregivers to connect.
I invited survivors, caregivers and their families to come to a survivor and caregiver picnic. I kept it simple and asked everybody to bring a dish to share. We grilled and played lawn games.
The first year was very powerful, so I’ve continued organizing it every year and recently hosted the third annual picnic. Survivors and caregivers are so grateful and appreciative to be able to share their stories with each other and provide encouragement. It’s a beautiful thing.
Quite a few of the survivors in the community have shared their stories at PurpleStride, PurpleLight, and other events during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Audiences love to hear from them; it’s really encouraging.
Paula: Your PurpleStride team has a big goal of $30,000! What fundraising strategies do you use and recommend to others?
April: Visibility is so important. We ordered hundreds of purple wristbands with our team’s name, Superman’s Squad, to give out to team members and supporters. I’m wearing one right now.
We’ve ordered other inexpensive items with our team’s name, like pens and coffee mugs, so we could encourage people to register for PurpleStride, join our team, and raise money or donate. They become a part of Superman’s Squad, get a purple cape, and get a little gift.
These small investments have drawn a lot of people to support and join our team. You feel a sense of belonging when you join. You become part of a team and part of a movement.
I volunteer with PanCAN because of a personal invite to join the affiliate, so I do the same with my PurpleStride team. I reach out to people and extend invites to join the team.
The first year, building the team and fundraising wasn’t too hard because my dad had made such a positive impact on so many people. After he passed, people wanted to do something in honor of his life and recognize how he had helped others. We've managed to keep a lot of team members because of the team camaraderie and community.
We walk together with the capes every year in Kansas City. We’re a sea of purple capes. Every year brings a little more healing. You always miss your loved one – that never goes away – but every year is a step toward making a difference for more people.
We work hard to keep raising awareness and we really encourage other teams to register and join us on event day. There’s room for everyone.
Paula: Your family is at the core of your PurpleStride team. Who is involved?
April: My little sister, Angie, is our Team Captain and does a great job mobilizing us. I’m so proud that we’ve been a top fundraising team for multiple years.
A few years after my dad passed, my husband Rob’s only brother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away about a year later. Now we've been impacted by two family members, one on each side of our family.
My husband is heavily involved as a volunteer. On event day, he helps with VIP parking and setup and tear down. At the survivor and caregiver picnic, he helps with setup and grills. We are a package deal; volunteering is very meaningful to us as we’ve both been deeply impacted by this disease.
Our whole extended family volunteers on event day by working in different tents, helping with the walk, setting up the site, tearing down - everything.
My sweet mom, Lilly, is very involved with PanCAN as well. She has remarried and just celebrated her 2nd anniversary with Max. They have a special story.
Max lost his wife of 50 years, Shirley, to pancreatic cancer. My sister and Max’s daughter introduced my mom to Max. They connected through their losses and became friends and then husband and wife! It is a special blessing to our family to see them both thrive and travel and enjoy life together after such deep losses.
They both volunteer for the affiliate and recently attended the survivor and caregiver picnic. Max brought his sound equipment and music, and my mom helped me set up and greet survivors and guests. I am so grateful for them.
My mom is in her 70s and Max is in his 80s. It is never too late to find love or make a difference for others!
We also have friends from across Kansas and in other states who walk in solidarity with us every year. We are so grateful for their support.
Paula: How has the experience working with other volunteers in your affiliate been?
April: I get to work with such a wonderful team.
Recently I went with Sara, the mission chair, to downtown Kansas City to meet with a company, Holmes Murphy, that made a large donation to PurpleStride Kansas City. We got to meet their staff and accepted the donation on behalf of the affiliate. The employees selected PanCAN to receive an award and the donation; it was really special.
There are a number of awareness events around the community that we attend. We’ve gone to support hockey benefit nights and 5Ks. We’ve also had a table at a World Cancer Day event at Gilda’s Club Kansas City.
Paula: What keeps you busy outside of PanCAN?
April: My husband and I have two kids. Our daughter is getting married in April of 2026, right before PurpleStride. Our son will be graduating from Kansas State next year as well. We’re going to have an exciting spring with all that going on!
I'm an Instructional Coach in the Olathe School District in the Kansas City area. I support elementary school teachers and coach them in effective instruction and classroom management and all the things that teachers do every day.
I love my work. I love mentoring teachers. Teaching is such a noble profession, and I love bringing new teachers into the fold and supporting them and encouraging them to be the best teachers they can be.
Paula: Thank you, April, for all you do for PanCAN and your community!
Paula: What is your connection to PanCAN’s mission?
April: In 2018, my dad, Dennis Fullman, was having health issues for several months, but the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. When he became really jaundiced, he went to the hospital and a blockage in his bile duct was discovered.
During emergency surgery, the surgeon found a tumor. My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Valentine’s Day.
That started my family’s journey of fighting pancreatic cancer alongside my dad’s doctor, Dr. Jaswinder Singh. He and his staff had a relationship with PanCAN and he’s the one who introduced us to the organization.
We formed a PanCAN PurpleStride team and walked in PanCAN PurpleStride Kansas City in 2018.
Paula: How was the experience of attending PurpleStride for the first time?
April: We were moved by how many people were affected by pancreatic cancer. While we felt the reality of the difficult situation we were facing, it was also encouraging to be around other people who were going through the same thing. We felt a lot of solidarity.
Attending the event together reinforced my family’s mission to support my dad and help him fight this disease. He was diagnosed in February, and the event was in May that year, so we hadn't been dealing with the diagnosis for very long.
We felt so loved and cared for by the Kansas City PanCAN community and volunteers. It was a bright spot in a difficult time.
My dad’s condition improved for a while and then worsened. He had a variety of treatments, but he ended up being ineligible for the Whipple procedure, which was deeply disappointing for us.
We decided to participate in PurpleStride 2019 and brought back our team, Superman’s Squad. We wanted to work hard and become one of the event’s top fundraising teams.
Sadly, my dad passed away the week before PurpleStride. We ended up having his funeral on the day of the event.
We decided to still attend PurpleStride and walk together while wearing our team Superman capes. We then went to my dad’s service and wore our capes there as well. Everyone saw how much the PanCAN community meant to us. It was very meaningful for my family.
Paula: How did you become involved as a PanCAN volunteer?
April: It was a personal invite from the affiliate chair of the Kansas City Affiliate, Lindsey. She reached out to encourage me to volunteer. I’m forever grateful for that.
I accepted and began connecting with survivors in our community and helping with the survivors’ tent at PurpleStride.
I knew that my dad wanted our family to continue supporting PanCAN and helping others.
Paula: It sounds like you are particularly passionate about supporting survivors.
April: Watching my dad’s pancreatic cancer journey through diagnosis and treatments is part of it; I want to help others who receive pancreatic cancer diagnoses process the news and learn that there’s a community who understands and cares.
I also think about going to my first PurpleStride and meeting survivors and hearing their stories. In Kansas City, we are fortunate enough to have a few very long-term survivors. We have a 27-year survivor. We have a 15-year survivor. It deeply impacted me to hear from these survivors and it’s really inspiring for others as well.
These experiences motivated me to turn something painful and hard for my family into something good for others.
Paula: How do you support survivors throughout the year?
April: After several years of volunteering in the survivors’ tent at PurpleStride, I realized that I didn’t want to wait until the next PurpleStride to connect with survivors. I decided to stay in touch during the year and create another opportunity for survivors and caregivers to connect.
I invited survivors, caregivers and their families to come to a survivor and caregiver picnic. I kept it simple and asked everybody to bring a dish to share. We grilled and played lawn games.
The first year was very powerful, so I’ve continued organizing it every year and recently hosted the third annual picnic. Survivors and caregivers are so grateful and appreciative to be able to share their stories with each other and provide encouragement. It’s a beautiful thing.
Quite a few of the survivors in the community have shared their stories at PurpleStride, PurpleLight, and other events during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Audiences love to hear from them; it’s really encouraging.
Paula: Your PurpleStride team has a big goal of $30,000! What fundraising strategies do you use and recommend to others?
April: Visibility is so important. We ordered hundreds of purple wristbands with our team’s name, Superman’s Squad, to give out to team members and supporters. I’m wearing one right now.
We’ve ordered other inexpensive items with our team’s name, like pens and coffee mugs, so we could encourage people to register for PurpleStride, join our team, and raise money or donate. They become a part of Superman’s Squad, get a purple cape, and get a little gift.
These small investments have drawn a lot of people to support and join our team. You feel a sense of belonging when you join. You become part of a team and part of a movement.
I volunteer with PanCAN because of a personal invite to join the affiliate, so I do the same with my PurpleStride team. I reach out to people and extend invites to join the team.
The first year, building the team and fundraising wasn’t too hard because my dad had made such a positive impact on so many people. After he passed, people wanted to do something in honor of his life and recognize how he had helped others. We've managed to keep a lot of team members because of the team camaraderie and community.
We walk together with the capes every year in Kansas City. We’re a sea of purple capes. Every year brings a little more healing. You always miss your loved one – that never goes away – but every year is a step toward making a difference for more people.
We work hard to keep raising awareness and we really encourage other teams to register and join us on event day. There’s room for everyone.
Paula: Your family is at the core of your PurpleStride team. Who is involved?
April: My little sister, Angie, is our Team Captain and does a great job mobilizing us. I’m so proud that we’ve been a top fundraising team for multiple years.
A few years after my dad passed, my husband Rob’s only brother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away about a year later. Now we've been impacted by two family members, one on each side of our family.
My husband is heavily involved as a volunteer. On event day, he helps with VIP parking and setup and tear down. At the survivor and caregiver picnic, he helps with setup and grills. We are a package deal; volunteering is very meaningful to us as we’ve both been deeply impacted by this disease.
Our whole extended family volunteers on event day by working in different tents, helping with the walk, setting up the site, tearing down - everything.
My sweet mom, Lilly, is very involved with PanCAN as well. She has remarried and just celebrated her 2nd anniversary with Max. They have a special story.
Max lost his wife of 50 years, Shirley, to pancreatic cancer. My sister and Max’s daughter introduced my mom to Max. They connected through their losses and became friends and then husband and wife! It is a special blessing to our family to see them both thrive and travel and enjoy life together after such deep losses.
They both volunteer for the affiliate and recently attended the survivor and caregiver picnic. Max brought his sound equipment and music, and my mom helped me set up and greet survivors and guests. I am so grateful for them.
My mom is in her 70s and Max is in his 80s. It is never too late to find love or make a difference for others!
We also have friends from across Kansas and in other states who walk in solidarity with us every year. We are so grateful for their support.
Paula: How has the experience working with other volunteers in your affiliate been?
April: I get to work with such a wonderful team.
Recently I went with Sara, the mission chair, to downtown Kansas City to meet with a company, Holmes Murphy, that made a large donation to PurpleStride Kansas City. We got to meet their staff and accepted the donation on behalf of the affiliate. The employees selected PanCAN to receive an award and the donation; it was really special.
There are a number of awareness events around the community that we attend. We’ve gone to support hockey benefit nights and 5Ks. We’ve also had a table at a World Cancer Day event at Gilda’s Club Kansas City.
Paula: What keeps you busy outside of PanCAN?
April: My husband and I have two kids. Our daughter is getting married in April of 2026, right before PurpleStride. Our son will be graduating from Kansas State next year as well. We’re going to have an exciting spring with all that going on!
I'm an Instructional Coach in the Olathe School District in the Kansas City area. I support elementary school teachers and coach them in effective instruction and classroom management and all the things that teachers do every day.
I love my work. I love mentoring teachers. Teaching is such a noble profession, and I love bringing new teachers into the fold and supporting them and encouraging them to be the best teachers they can be.
Paula: Thank you, April, for all you do for PanCAN and your community!
April (center) with her sisters and their late father’s Superman cape.
April and her Superman’s Squad wristband.
April (second from right) with husband, Rob (far right), mother, Lilly, and stepfather, Max.
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