Your Trenton Thunder and the Grand Slam We Care Foundation recognize organizations and individuals who have had a major impact on the Trenton community. S.L.A.M. Week, which stands for “Supporting Local Admirable Missions”, honors selected organizations and individuals prior to the game.
Friday’s recipient was the Philadelphia affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. They became an affiliate in 2006 and was was started by Pia Miller and others to bring awareness and raise funds for research for Pancreatic Cancer which had a 4% survival rate. The affiliate had its first PurpleStride in 2007 and have continued every year since. The Philadelphia affiliate has raised approximately $8 million for the cause since 2007. We honored Sarah Mattern, the Pia Miller Award Winner for 2024. Sarah unfortunately lost her father, Ron, to Pancreatic Cancer. She attended her first PurpleStride in 2017 and became involved with the Philadelphia Affiliate in 2021 where she took on the role of PurpleStride Event Experience Chair.
In March of 2023, the Thunder lost a beloved member of the Thunder family. Chris Schwartz fought a hard battle against pancreatic cancer. He was a gameday staff member for about 20 years who enjoyed his job as a ticket taker and always had a smile on his face. We welcomed his beloved daughter, Emily Schwartz, who has advocated for pancreatic cancer research since the moment Chris was diagnosed.
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