Pancreatic Cancer Walk Aims to Give Hope, Raise Money for Research

When Liz Tatarka gets to Rye Playland Sunday, April 17, she will be feeling emotional.

The New Rochelle resident will be taking part in the annual Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk along Long Island Sound.

It’s a cause that has touched her family.

Her father, Michael David Garcia, died of pancreatic cancer almost eight years ago.

Tatarka still feels the loss when joining with other supporters for the walk to raise money for research.

“But I’m always surprised also at how uplifting it is to see all these people coming together for a good cause,” she said.

“It’s a feeling of hope,” Tatarka said. “It makes you feel like we can do it.”

Garcia served on the Larchmont Police Force for 37 years, reaching the level of captain.

Tatarka said he never took a sick day and she thought of him as invincible.

In 2007, Garcia began to feel ill and what doctors thought was a heart problem turned out to be pancreatic cancer.

Though aggressive treatment, he lived longer than doctors expected he would, eventually passing away in August 2008.

Tatarka’s mother found out about the foundation’s Westchester walk and they immediately registered as Team “Mike” and have been walking every year since.

Tatarka said it takes some mental preparation to join in the walk.

“Every year when my mother pulls out the special picture of him, my heart still beats into my throat,” she said.

But getting involved with the walk’s planning committee has helped ease the mental prep, Tatarka said.

She said that everywhere she goes, the more people she talks to tell her they lost someone to pancreatic cancer.

“It seems to be everywhere,” Tatarka said. “It’s definitely a horrible crisis that is happening.”

She is hoping that others will join the hundreds of participant at the walk Sunday or, if possible, give a donation.

The 2-mile Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk raises money 100 percent of which goes directly to pancreatic cancer research due to the support of Cablevision.

The fee for the walk if you pre-register is $50. The fee on the day of the walk is $60.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the walk will start at 9:30 a.m.

For more information and to register, go to www.curePC.org.

Photo credit: www.curePC.org.