APRIL 21, 2021 - The Star Trek community is rallying together to fight pancreatic cancer in the 2021 PurpleStride Los Angeles event, hosted by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or PanCAN. PurpleStride events are held in multiple cities each year to honor the patients and families affected by pancreatic cancer. What would normally be an in-person, “energetic” gathering is taking place virtually. This year, Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Jonathan Frakes, Deep Space Nine’s Armin Shimerman and his wife, actor Kitty Swink, are leading a team of fundraisers for the event.

Their team is called “Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer”, and they would love for you to join.

From the team’s fundraising website:

“A better world, a brighter future. No disease or suffering. Limitless possibility. Hope. These were all part of Gene Roddenberry’s vision of ‘Star Trek.’ They also run parallel to PanCAN’s vision — to create a world in which every patient with pancreatic cancer will thrive. [...] Let’s get the pancreatic cancer survival rate way beyond 10%. Let’s make it so.”

“Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer” has set an ambitious fundraising goal of $50,000, just over 14% of the overall goal of $353,000 for PurpleStride Los Angeles. As of the time of this writing, they have raised nearly $31,000 toward their goal and are the leading fundraising team for the event. PurpleStride Los Angeles seems to be gaining traction among the Star Trek community. According to the website, a number of names familiar to Star Trek fans have appeared on the donor list, including Gates McFadden, Robert Picardo, Michael Dorn, Terry Farrell and the Burton family. As an added incentive to donors, Swink, Shimerman and Frakes are offering their time in a 30 minute, personal Zoom call with the top individual fundraiser on their team. To win, “all monies raised must be reflected on your personal fundraising page on this team by midnight Pacific on May 1st”.

PurpleStride events are “the number-one way PanCAN raises money to fight pancreatic cancer.” Funds raised will go toward programs in scientific research, providing patient services free of charge, government advocacy, and community engagement.

To learn more and to join the “Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer” as a team member and donor, visit PanCAN.org.