Ossining Resident Joins The Lustgarten Foundation and More Than 1,000 Westchester Residents in Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk

Ossining resident Jose Lamela will support his mother’s battle against pancreatic cancer by joining more than 1,000 Westchester and surrounding area residents at The Lustgarten Foundation’s sixth annual Westchester Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk. The walk will be held on Sunday, April 19, at Rye Playland Park in Rye, NY.

The Lustgarten Foundation is the nation’s largest private foundation dedicated to funding pancreatic cancer research. Due to Cablevision’s support of the Foundation, 100 percent of every dollar that Jose and his fellow walkers raise will go directly to pancreatic cancer research.

Jose’s 64-year-old mother Clelia was an energetic and healthy woman who walked more than a mile each day to one of her two jobs just to get exercise. During the summer of 2014 she began to experience some unusual pain and in September, the results of an ultrasound and MRI revealed she had pancreatic cancer. As she underwent chemotherapy and began to do better, Jose learned about the Foundation’s Westchester Walk through Facebook. He, along with his mother, immediately wanted to join for the first time with family and friends as Team “Clelia’s Crew” to help raise funds for research to find a cure.

Jose believes that participating in the walk is an inspirational way to celebrate his mother’s survival. And for Jose, it is also fulfilling to know that 100 percent of all money he raises goes directly to pancreatic cancer research.

“We are grateful for Jose’s dedication to the fight against pancreatic cancer in honor of his mother’s battle,” said Kerri Kaplan, executive director and chief operating officer, The Lustgarten Foundation. “Research offers hope that one day, early detection of pancreatic cancer will require nothing more than a routine blood test, and that better treatments can be found, eventually leading to a cure. Working together, we are closer to realizing that goal every day.”

The Lustgarten Foundation’s Westchester Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk at Rye Playland Park will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 19, with registration starting at 8:00 a.m. For more information about the walk or to register, please visit www.curePC.org.

About Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is swift and silent, often undetected until it’s too late. The overall five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is seven percent and most with advanced cancer die within a year. There are no early detection tests, no effective long-term treatments and, unless the cancer is surgically removed in its earliest stages, no cure. It is the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. For more information about pancreatic cancer, please visit: www.curepc.org/infographic.

About The Lustgarten Foundation

The Lustgarten Foundation is America’s largest private foundation dedicated to funding pancreatic cancer research. Based in Bethpage, New York, the Foundation supports research to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, facilitates dialogue within the medical and scientific community, and educates the public about the disease through awareness campaigns and fundraising events. The Foundation has provided millions of research dollars and assembled the best scientific minds with the hope that one day, a cure can be found. Due to the support of Cablevision Systems Corporation, a leading media and telecommunications company, 100 percent of every dollar donated to The Lustgarten Foundation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research. The Lustgarten Foundation and Cablevision are also partners in the curePC public awareness campaign in support of the fight against pancreatic cancer. For additional information, please visit www.curePC.org.