Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The push for Pink is over, but in November awareness and support groups are championing another cause: The fight to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms of the disease.
How do you draw attention to an often overlooked but lethal illness? One Burnsville man and his compatriots came up with a eye-catching way of raising awareness. In late September, survivor Juan Falcon lit the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis with purple light to spread awareness for the the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Spectacle aside, the real push starts this month, November, which has been officially dubbed National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month by Mayor Elizabeth Kautz. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Unlike many other forms of cancer, which have benefited from recent research, survivor rates remain low, in the single digits. According to PanCan rep Nancy Marian, the …
Monday, October 1, 2012
In other news from around the region, Nikko, a snow monkey at the Minnesota Zoo, celebrates his 29th birthday, and Burnsville swears in its first female police captain.
You can't be in front of your computer 24 hours a day, so each week, Patch reviews the past several days' top stories, which first appeared on this site or those of our neighbors. Here's a look at the recent news that may interest you or affect your life. To read the full story, click on the headline link: VIDEO: How Does a Snow Monkey Celebrate His 29th Birthday? Nikko, a snow monkey at the Minnesota Zoo, is the oldest male of his species in North America. Burnsville Swears in First Female Police Captain Capt. Tanya Schwartz, replacement for Eric Werner, could be the only woman to have attained such a rank in Dakota County. Burnsville Man Works to Transform I-35 Bridge into Tribute to Cancer Victims Minnesota's most famous bridge …
Monday, September 24, 2012
Minnesota's most famous bridge will glow purple in honor of those with pancreatic cancer, a disease with a five-year survival rate in the single digits.
This Sunday, the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis will be ablaze with amethyst-colored light, a striking display meant to draw attention to a profilic but low-profile killer: pancreatic cancer. The spectacle is the work of the Twin Cities affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and Juan Falcon, a Burnsville resident and six year survivor. Falcon was tasked with getting approval from the Minnesota Department of Transportation for the display. "I was excited to be able to use this significant bridge as a way to create awareness for pancreatic cancer," Falcon said. Falcon is one of the lucky few. Though the cancer is the fourth most common in the U.S. there are few treatment options and no early detection methods. About 74 …
Jeanne Scheler
9:15 am on Thursday, October 4, 2012
As a 14 month survivor of Stage III non operable Pancreatic Cancer seeing the bridge turned purple was a very moving and inspirational act for me. Thanks Mr. Falcon and God bless you with your successful fight against this disease. more ›