Widow of Oscar Suarez to walk at PurpleStride Marathon November 3

Philadelphia, PA (October 17, 2012) – Marie Suarez, the widow of legendary boxing trainer Oscar Suarez, will walk in his honor at the PurpleStride Marathon Saturday, November 3 at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA.

With a million dollar smile and soft personality, Suarez was recognized as one of boxing’s good guys. The New Jersey native trained world champions “Prince” Naseem Hamed, Acelino “Popo” Freitas and Jhonny Gonzalez as well as contenders Omar Sheika, Aglando Nunes and Patrick Lopez among others. In 2008, Suarez lost his battle with Pancreatic Cancer at age 47. Two years later, he was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.

A benefit for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, PurpleStride is an annual 5K walk that takes place in various locations throughout the country. The walk helps raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer research, with the hopes of one day finding a cure for what is widely regarded as the worst form of cancer.

“I raise money for the cause as often as possible,” said Marie Suarez, a native of Paterson, NJ who resides in West Berlin, NJ. “My goal is to start the Oscar Suarez Foundation in the near future and events like this help educate me further about the process. The Suarez Foundation will be about patient care, education and helping families that get caught by surprise. Pancreatic Cancer gives no warning and the medical expenses are through the roof. I am hoping to gear my efforts strictly for patient care awareness, funeral expenses and things of that nature. I am still working on the specifics, but I am dedicated to making a difference.”

Every year, approximately 44,000 Americans are diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and it’s the second leading cause of cancer death. Only six percent of people with Pancreatic Cancer survive longer than five years. Sadly, only two percent of the National Cancer Institute’s annual budget goes towards Pancreatic Cancer research, making it the most under-funded and least-studied of all major cancers.

Donations can be made in Oscar’s honor and those interested in participating in the event can register by going to Team Oscar Suarez's Team Page for PA - PurpleStride Philadelphia 2012

For more information, please contact Marie Suarez at Mse22st@aol.com.