'Project Purple' Coaster Takes On New Meaning At Six Flags Great Adventure

JACKSON, NJ — Six Flags Great Adventure has been teasing the public with its new roller coaster that is anticipated to open in 2027, touting the thrills it will bring to riders as the park ramps up its offerings to patrons.

Park officials have not released the name of the new coaster yet, instead calling it "Project Purple" as they give sneak peeks at the construction progress.

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Now the park is leveraging its reach and giving the new coaster and its promotions a higher purpose: raising awareness of pancreatic cancer.

The park is partnering with Project Purple, a national organization dedicated to pancreatic cancer research and supporting patients battling the disease.

The partnership, announced Friday, is set to run through June 1, 2027, park officials said, as Six Flags Great Adventure works with Project Purple to highlight its mission, raising awareness and supporting its fundraising efforts.

"We’re excited to partner with Project Purple and use the visibility of this incredible new attraction to help shine a light on an important cause," said Mike Fehnel, Six Flags Great Adventure park president. "This partnership is especially meaningful to me personally, having lost my father to pancreatic cancer. It’s a disease that impacts far too many families, including mine."

"As Project Purple rises on our skyline, we have an opportunity to raise awareness, inspire support and create a meaningful connection between unforgettable experiences and real impact," Fehnel said.

The 2027 coaster is anticipated to be one of the tallest coasters in the world and will have a record-breaking multi-launch experience, park officials have said. It is just one piece of improvements Six Flags has been making at the Jackson park, which is marking its 52nd season.

Work also is continuing on the park's boardwalk area makeover. Shoreline Pier is anticipated to open this spring, though an exact date has not been announced. That section of the park will include five new rides, including one moved from another section of the park.

Read more: Coaster Construction Moving Along As Six Flags Great Adventure Unveils Updates

The park also has announced the return of in-park shows and family entertainment, which had been popular for years before the park halted them about 10 years ago. It is bringing back Holiday in the Park, the Christmas-time festival it had hosted for several years.

Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of any cancer in the United States, with 13.7 percent of those diagnosed with it living for five years, according to the National Institutes of Health. The NIH expects just over 67,500 new cases to be diagnosed in 2026, and anticipates nearly 53,000 people will die of pancreatic cancer this year.

Dino Verrelli, Project Purple CEO who founded the organization after his father, Giovanni, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008, welcomed the connection.

"We are honored to partner with Six Flags Great Adventure and be part of such an exciting and visible project," he said at the announcement at the park on Friday. "This collaboration helps us bring our mission to new audiences and reminds people that awareness can happen in powerful and unexpected places."

The Project Purple promotion will include signs about the organization throughout Great Adventure, with links to more information about the organization and ways to support it.

There also are plans in the works for other special events and fundraising initiatives connected to the coaster and Project Purple in the coming months, park officials said.