When the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research first set out on this extraordinary journey to fight pancreatic cancer, we made a promise that still holds true; we would be relentless and we would never give up! There are countless reasons why each of us has remained committed to see this fight through, whether it’s on behalf of a loved one, because we don’t want to see other families suffer, or because you want to live in a world that is cancer free. We all have something in common, we are passionate about winning the fight against pancreatic cancer and we are committed to championing patients and family deeply impacted by this disease. 

For 20 years we’ve remained dedicated to families, friends, survivors whose lives have been touched by this disease. Together, we have raised over $20 million dollars to fund groundbreaking research and fund educational and support programs that serve the community. This year, 2017, the foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary. With the heartening motto, “We give new meaning to the words Never Give Up” we reflect on the stepping stones that have gotten us to 20 years as we forge down the path towards a cure.  

When the Hirshberg Foundation was first established in 1997 by Agi Hirshberg, whose husband Ronald died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 54, we began our work by funding two projects at the University of California, Los Angeles. The Ronald S. Hirshberg Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory and the Ronald S. Hirshberg Chair in Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research were funded with a commitment to support the research programs until the National Institute of Health grant recognition became available.  To date, the foundation has launched the Seed Grant Program and awarded 70 research grants to over 30 Medical Research Institutions across the globe; provided support, resources and financial aid to thousands of patients & families.

The future looks promising!