Okaloosa County BOCC — November 1, 2016 — 2016 Cover letter and Proclamation Okaloosa County

Dear Board of County Commissioners, I am writing on behalf of the estimated 41,780 Americans who will die of pancreatic cancer in 2016, approximately 3,080 of whom live in Florida. In 2016, pancreatic cancer will afflict more than 53,070 Americans, 71 percent of whom will die within one year of their diagnosis, and 92 percent of whom will die within five years of diagnosis. On December 24, 2012, I lost my dad, Bill Hill, to pancreatic cancer at the age of 61. Diagnosed at Stage IV, my dad was only expected to live another 3-6 months. He was determined to fight this disease with everything in him and, despite the grim prognosis, made a date to see his doctors the following year. He kept that date, but died only a few days later. Advances in early detection and treatment options are key to beating this disease and could have made the difference in saving my dad’s life. This year, pancreatic cancer surpassed breast cancer to become the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, and it is projected to become the second leading cause by 2020. It is the only major cancer with a five-year relative survival rate in the single digits at just eight percent. We need your help to shine a spotlight on this disease and finally make progress in developing treatments and early detection tools. By issuing a proclamation supporting the observance of November 17 as World Pancreatic Cancer Day, you can help us raise awareness in our community. I have attached a draft of the proclamation text for your review. We request that one original of the proclamation be made available for our records. Please contact me at 904-868-1030 or alison.strother@comcast.net with any questions. I look forward to working with you to issue a proclamation that will recognize World Pancreatic Cancer Day and bring much needed attention to this deadly disease. Thank you for your interest in this important issue. Sincerely, Alison Strother Okaloosa County Proclamation RESOLUTION Declaring November 17 “World Pancreatic Cancer Day” in Okaloosa County. WHEREAS in 2016, an estimated 53,070 people in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers, and 41,780 will die from the disease; WHEREAS pancreatic cancer surpassed breast cancer this year to become the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and it is projected to become the second leading cause by 2020; WHEREAS pancreatic cancer is the only major cancer with a five-year relative survival rate in the single digits at just eight percent; WHEREAS when symptoms of pancreatic cancer present themselves, it is generally in later stages, and 71 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within the first year of their diagnosis; WHEREAS approximately 3,080 deaths will occur in Florida in 2016; WHEREAS pancreatic cancer is the seventh most common cause of cancer- related death in men and women across the world; WHEREAS there will be an estimated 418,451 new pancreatic cancer cases diagnosed worldwide in 2016; WHEREAS the good health and well-being of the residents of Okaloosa County are enhanced as a direct result of increased awareness about pancreatic cancer and research into early detection, causes, and effective treatments; therefore be it RESOLVED that the Board of County Commissioners designate November 17 as “World Pancreatic Cancer Day” in Okaloosa County.