Actress and comedian Mindy Kaling has described losing her mother to pancreatic cancer 10 years ago as “one of the toughest moments of my life.” Now, she’s sharing that experience as the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s (PanCAN’s) first national ambassador for its annual "PurpleStride" fundraiser for pancreatic cancer research.
For the first time this year, the annual PurpleStride walks will take place in one “nationally synchronized event” April 30 in nearly 60 communities around the country. It aims to raise $16.5 million to fight the disease, which is considered one of the deadliest cancers with a five-year survival rate of just 11%. An estimated 50,000 Americans will die from it this year, according to PanCAN.
“I miss my mother every day, but when I can do anything to help the fight against pancreatic cancer, I feel like I am honoring her memory,” Kaling, writer, producer and star of “The Office” and “The Mindy Project,” said in a press release.
After two years of virtual fundraisers during the pandemic, PanCAN expects around 70,000 walkers decked out in purple to hit the streets in this year’s PurpleStride, which drugmakers Ipsen and AbbVie are sponsoring. Although PurpleStride is the organization’s biggest fundraiser, past events have taken place in various cities on different dates with little national coordination, PanCAN CEO Julie Fleshman said in an interview.
“As a result of that, the marketing efforts were really very local. By moving everything to one date on April 30, it really provides us this wonderful opportunity to do a national marketing campaign,” she said, adding she hopes it will have a greater impact both in terms of awareness and dollars raised.
PanCan kicked off the campaign in mid-February, when Kaling began appearing in PurpleStride ads with the slogan “One Nation. One Goal. One Big Day” inviting people to register for the event.
The actress also recorded a PSA set to debut later this month, following up on an earlier spot she did in November 2020 for Pancreatic Awareness Month. In the latter, Kaling opens up about her close relationship with her mother, Swati Chokalingam, M.D., and how losing her just eight months after her diagnosis was “one of the toughest moments of my life.”
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“We did everything we could for her, but we just hadn’t caught it in time,” Kaling said. By advocating for early detection and better treatments she hopes to “give those fighting today a chance at a life that my mom didn’t have.”
Kaling first got involved with PanCAN during her mother’s illness and has been “a wonderful ambassador” for the organization, said Fleshman, so she naturally was top of mind to become the public face of PurpleStride. “She understands the challenges of this disease, and she really does want to improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients,” Fleshman added.
Ipsen and AbbVie, also longtime supporters, are providing financial backing for the campaign and are encouraging employees to take part in walks where they live, said Fleshman. Ipsen is also a local sponsor of the Boston event.
Ipsen makes pancreatic cancer drug Onivyde. While AbbVie has several oncology drugs in its portfolio, it does not have an approved med for pancreatic cancer. Its blockbuster Imbruvica failed a phase 3 clinical trial for the disease in 2019.
The pair also sponsored PanCAN’s “Talk, Test and Take Control” campaign last fall featuring “Yellowstone” actress Jen Landon promoting the importance of genetic testing.