Talk of the Town: Together, they are making a difference

The Rick Williams Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk on Feb. 27 was a tremendous success, raising more than $23,000 for the Lustgarten Foundation, whose mission is to advance the scientific and medical research related to the diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of pancreatic cancer.

More than 240 people participated in the walk at La Posada at Park Centre. Purple is the color designated for the walk and hundreds of purple balloons could be seen trailing the walkers.

The local fund-raiser, the first of its kind specifically earmarked for pancreatic cancer research, is the brainchild of Rick and Belinda Williams.

Rick, 57, has pancreatic cancer, a disease where the signs and symptoms often don’t occur until it has metastasized beyond the pancreas to other areas of the body.

To help raise funds for this devastating disease, Rick and his wife, Belinda, organized the Rick Williams Pancreatic

Cancer Research Walk with the help of the Lustgarten Foundation.

This walk is the first of what they hope to see as an annual event.

Participating in Rick’s walk-a-thon was his doctor, Bruce W. Porterfield, a physician with Arizona Oncology in Green Valley and his family. Porterfield, too, has lost a family member to pancreatic cancer.

Other walkers included dozens of Rick and Belinda’s family members and friends.

A dance fund-raiser followed later that evening at the Green Valley Elk’s Lodge No. 2592 where once again, many friends and family members gathered to pay tribute to Rick and to enjoy music with Donna and Gene Green who sang along with dance tunes, inviting the audience to join in.

Rick said he was amazed at the number of people who came out for the event. One group included a family, some of whom traveled from Alaska to participate.

Rick signed all the medallions the walkers were awarded for their participation.

Visit lustgarten.org to learn about the foundation and how the group is helping raise funds for pancreatic research.

rford@gvnews.com Ç 547-9740