Luv your hat! Hats off to Wellesley woman’s unique fundraising effort for pancreatic cancer research

USA (SANEPR.com) June 24, 2008 -- two years ago, Sue O’Neil’s life changed forever when her beloved husband of 33 years, Tom O’Neil, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Less than four short months later, Tom died at their Wellesley, MA home.

Struggling to cope with her loss, O’Neil started reading about pancreatic cancer, the deadliest of all major cancers that kills 97% of those afflicted within 5 years, 50% within 6 months. In the US alone, pancreatic cancer kills over 33,000 people each year.

Little did she realize that her reading, and her penchant for hats, would ultimately result in the creation of O’Neil’s newly launched company, luvyourhat LLC, featuring a fun and funky unique line of hats. To honor Tom O’Neil’s memory and help save lives in the future, luvyourhat’s net proceeds will be donated to The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, the largest private foundation for pancreatic cancer research in the United States.

Luv your hat!
O’Neil and her husband’s friends held their first fundraiser to fight pancreatic cancer in October, 2007, organizing a golf tournament in Tom’s honor that raised $25,000 for The Lustgarten Foundation.

Two weeks after the tournament, O’Neil found another way to fund research. O’Neil explains, “You see, I love to wear hats. When I wore them out with Tom, so many people complimented me on my hats that it became a joke between the two of us. Almost a year to the day after I had lost my husband, I wore my sparkle hat again. Three separate women stopped me to say "Luv Your Hat!" I smiled to myself and realized that this was it! I would sell hats and donate a portion of each sale to pancreatic cancer research.”

Luvyourhats’ stylish hats are made from a lightweight fabric that is textured and covered with sparkle. The cowboy style hat can be shaped as desired and the baseball cap and visor have adjustable Velcro straps. The hats are currently available for purchase online at www.luvyourhat.com, and will soon be appearing at golf pro shops and other retailers as the word spreads about O’Neil’s efforts.

To order a hat, or further information for prospective retailers, please visit www.luvyourhat.com, or email Sue@luvyourhat.com. The website has also dedicated a page to those who have lost their battle with pancreatic cancer and encourages others to submit their stories.

The Lustgarten Foundation.
The mission of the non-profit Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research is to advance the scientific and medical research related to the diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of pancreatic cancer by:
• Increasing funding and support of research into the biological mechanisms and clinical strategies related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract with primary emphasis on adenocarcinoma of the pancreas;
• Facilitating and enhancing the dialog among members of the medical and scientific communities about basic and clinical research efforts that relate to pancreatic cancer;
• Advocating an increase in the annual budget of the National Cancer Institute with emphasis on research related to pancreatic cancer; and
• Heightening the public's awareness of pancreatic cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention and providing informational support for pancreatic cancer patients, their families, and friends.

The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research is located at ?1111 Stewart Avenue in ?Bethpage, New York. For further information please visit www.lustgarten.org or call 1-516-803-2304 or 1-866-789-1000.