By Deborah Thurmon, ECPCI Board Member, and Debra Taylor, ECPCI Associate Board Member
Sometimes the most meaningful journeys begin with words no one ever expects to hear: “You have cancer.”
In September 2014, Doris Bowdoin had just celebrated her 70th birthday surrounded by family and friends. She felt healthy, active, and full of life, with no reason to believe anything was wrong. Then one morning, Doris looked in the mirror and noticed that her eyes had turned yellow. Within days, she received a devastating diagnosis: Stage III pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to detect early because symptoms may not appear until the disease has progressed. For Doris, jaundice was the first warning that something was wrong. Still, she was determined to fight. Doris and her family began researching treatment options, and that search led her to the University of Alabama at Birmingham and pancreatic surgeon Dr. Sushanth Reddy. On October 31, 2014, Halloween Day, Doris underwent the complex Whipple procedure.
The surgery saved her life, but recovery brought complications, chemotherapy, hospitalizations, and months of healing. Eventually, her treatments ended and her scans became clear. More than a decade later, Doris remains a Stage III pancreatic cancer survivor.
Her story is also a reminder of why early detection and continued research are so important. Scientists are exploring new ways to detect pancreatic cancer earlier and developing more personalized treatment approaches. Advances in blood-based testing, genetics, targeted therapies, and other areas of research are bringing renewed hope to patients and families.
For Doris, however, surviving pancreatic cancer was only the beginning. After her recovery, Doris and four of her closest friends became increasingly aware of other families facing the same frightening diagnosis. They understood the emotional, physical, and financial challenges pancreatic cancer can bring, and they wanted to do something.
Inspired by Doris’s survival and the fact that her life-saving surgery took place on Halloween, the friends embraced a playful witch theme. In 2017, they founded the nonprofit Witches of St. Andrews, Inc. and created what would become one of the community’s most recognizable annual traditions. Participants dressed as witches and warlocks walked the parade, rode decorated bicycles, and drove decorated golf carts through Historic St. Andrews to raise awareness and money for pancreatic cancer.
What began as a small group of friends quickly grew. More witches and warlocks joined, more walkers took part, decorated bicycles and golf carts filled the streets, businesses became sponsors, and families came to cheer them on. Behind the costumes and fun was always a serious purpose: supporting pancreatic cancer patients and their families, raising awareness, and helping fund research focused on earlier detection and a cure.
As the nonprofit’s mission expanded, its leaders realized its name needed to grow with it. In March 2026, Witches of St. Andrews, Inc. became the Emerald Coast Pancreatic Cancer Initiative, Inc., or ECPCI Cares. Today, ECPCI provides financial assistance to pancreatic cancer patients and families throughout the Emerald Coast, promotes awareness, and supports promising research. Most importantly, the organization wants families facing pancreatic cancer to know they do not have to face it alone.
Ten years later, the Ride has become a celebration of survival, remembrance, community, and hope. The witches and warlocks, however, are not going anywhere.
On Saturday, October 24, 2026, the community will celebrate the 10th Anniversary Ride for the Cure for Pancreatic Cancer, with Panama City native and U.S. Congressman Jimmy Patronis serving as Grand Marshal. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Captain’s Table Fish House Restaurant on Beck Avenue, with the parade beginning at 10:30 a.m.
So grab your witch hat and join us! Walk the parade, ride a bicycle decked out for the occasion, or join the fun in a festive golf cart. Prefer to watch? Cheering from the sidelines is free and everyone is welcome. Want to join the celebration at Captain’s Table? Tickets are $48 and include lunch, live music, a remembrance ceremony, and access to the silent auction.
Come for the fun. Join the cause. Help us make a difference.
To register or learn more, visit www.ecpcicares.org/registerfortheride.
Photo credit Bob Taylor at bobtaylorphotographyllc.com.
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