Promises for Purple, a volunteer organization for pancreatic cancer awareness, was founded in 2009 by Claire Muollo, shortly after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. While undergoing treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Claire admired the dedication and genuine care provided by her doctors. Inspired by their determination and by her own frustration with the incurable illness, Claire, along with close friends and family, organized a family-friendly 5K walk at Braintree High School in Braintree, Mass. Their goal was to increase pancreatic cancer awareness and raise funds for lifesaving research at Dana-Farber.
Although Claire lost her battle to pancreatic cancer in 2014, her crusade to bring awareness and help find a cure continues. Now in its tenth year, Promises for Purple has raised over $230,000 for pancreatic cancer research.