Kelly's Heroes: Fighting Pancreatic Cancer

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Kelly's Heroes: Fighting Pancreatic Cancer

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Kelly's Heroes is a 501(c)(3) that raises funds for cancer research, inspired by Steve Kelly, who never stopped waging hope against pancreatic cancer.

Kelly’s Heroes is a 501c(3) inspired by Steve Kelly, a terrific husband, proud dad, big-time sports fan and a talented editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Steve was 53 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a disease that kills 73 percent of its victims within the first year. Steve fought the battle through two clinical trials, volunteering to be part of the medical research that he truly believed would provide a breakthrough in treating this horrible disease. “Why not me?” he used to say as he endured his six-hour weekly chemo treatments. Pancreatic cancer is often called the “silent killer” because there’s no reliable screening test for the disease and its elusive symptoms often aren’t apparent until the disease has spread. The statistics are sobering:
• Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and is anticipated to become the second by 2020.
• Pancreatic cancer is one of the nation’s deadliest cancers with a five-year relative survival rate of just 6 percent.
• In 2014, an estimated 46,420 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States, and approximately 39,590 will die from the disease. Steve died 22 months after his diagnosis. In those 22 months, he white-water rafted and ziplined in Costa Rica; ran a 5K with his daughter; and donned his kilt and poured the Guinness at his annual St. Patrick’s Day bash. Writing for the Inquirer, Steve said, “I’m not afraid of dying, but the thought of not living frightens the hell out of me.” Kelly’s Heroes is committed to celebrating Steve’s life by gathering good people together, raising funds for cancer research and waging hope against this terrible disease.

11/07/2026

Last night’s Zumbathon was a zesty start to with a terrific turnout and endless energy! Huge thanks to Sandy Kelly-Robidoux and her volunteers for another incredible evening of “fun”raising and awareness-building.

11/05/2026

⏱️Please spend 60 seconds of your day reviewing these pancreatic cancer symptoms. Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed late because the symptoms can be similar to other illnesses. Part of our goal this month is to increase the baseline knowledge of these symptoms - so that anyone experiencing them can discuss them with their doctor.

11/01/2026

November means more than awareness. It means honoring heroes.

For every patient in treatment. For every survivor defying the odds. For every caregiver showing tremendous strength. For Steve Kelly and every loved one whose memory continues to inspire us.

This Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Kelly's Heroes recommits to the fight for better treatments, earlier detection and increased survival. Please join with us - share our content, wear purple and visit our partner site from World Pancreatic Cancer Day to learn about pancreatic cancer symptoms, risks and other vital facts.

💜 Together, we are Kelly's Heroes.

10/26/2026

Save the date and plan your purple! Despite advances in research, pancreatic cancer has a 5-year survival rate of just 13% in the U.S. November is our time to increase awareness and raise hope!

10/12/2026

A little rain? No problem for Bill Kettelberger, who completed the 18-mile LBI run today as he prepares for the Philadelphia Marathon Nov. 22. Bill and the rest of the Kelly's Heroes running team are putting in the miles this fall to bring hope to pancreatic cancer patients. Donations are greatly appreciated via our team page (see link in first comment.) Many thanks to the rest of this year’s runners:
🏅Bill's wife Sharon Blachowski finished the Ocean City Half Marathon last weekend - running the same course over the bridge and along the boards that Steve ran.
🏅 Father-daughter duo George Cepeda and Karina Cepeda have conquered the New York City and London marathons - but they always return to Kelly's Heroes to help raise funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer research. They completed the Philadelphia Distance Run in Steve’s honor.

09/28/2026

Looking back on this rainy, gray weekend on the glorious day we had at this year’s Teed Off Golf Outing to Fight Pancreatic Cancer. A record number of golfers, generous sponsors and selfless volunteers made it possible to present a $75,000 check to the Steve Kelly Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Johns Hopkins - honoring Steve’s legacy as a clinical trial hero and creating more treatment options for hope and survival. Thank you, one and all!

09/18/2026

This year’s Kelly’s Heroes golf outing was our biggest ever - and arguably the best! We were delighted to announce a $75,000 gift to the Steve Kelly Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Johns Hopkins and host Hopkins’ Ellen Feldmann Roberts. Steve participated in two clinical trials at Hopkins, and this donation honors his legacy by funding a collateral study to help validate results of a new pancreatic cancer trial led by Steve’s oncologist Dr. Dung Le. As Ellen says, we’re standing on Steve’s shoulders to bring hope to future patients. 💜

Address

East Windsor, NJ
08520

Website

http://www.kellysheroes.ngo/

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