Okaloosa County BOCC — October 21, 2014 — Cover letter

Dear Mr. Sims and Mr. Owen, I am writing on behalf of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the estimated 39,590 Americans who will die of pancreatic cancer in 2014, approximately 2,890 of whom live in Florida. In 2014, pancreatic cancer will afflict more than 46,420 Americans, 73% of whom will die within one year of their diagnosis, and 94% 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. To date, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and it is the only major cancer with a five-year relative survival rate in the single digits at just six percent. Furthermore, the incidence and death rate for pancreatic cancer are increasing, and pancreatic cancer is anticipated to move from the fourth to the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. by 2020. 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 2014 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in Okaloosa County you can help us to raise awareness in our community. I have attached a draft of the proclamation text for your review. I am happy to provide additional official Pancreatic Cancer Action Network material, including pancreatic cancer facts and statistics and NCI funding information, upon request. 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 November as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and bring much needed attention to this deadly disease. Thank you for your interest in this important issue. Sincerely, Alison Strother