A Few Steps Towards
Earlier Detection for Pancreatic Cancer
In Loving Memory…
In 2021, Alan Shmaruk was waging a relentless battle against pancreatic cancer. Inspired by his fighting spirit, his son Ben hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, and the whole family used the hike as a platform to raise money for pancreatic cancer research. Alan passed away in July 2022, after a 3 year battle with this horrible disease. While Alan is unfortunately no longer with us and Ben’s hike is long over, we still plan on raising money to keep Alan’s memory and spirit alive within all of us. Follow @pct4pc on instagram for more updates and events as we continue this fight.
Our Backstory
Read about us and our plan to take action against pancreatic cancer.
Trail Updates
This page will be updated as I make progress along the trail.
Mission Statement
PCT 4 PC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding pancreatic cancer research. I am using my Pacific Crest Trail thru hike as a platform to begin fundraising, and my family and I plan to continue our efforts after the hike is complete. Our donations are currently focused on early detection, but we hope to expand our project.