Scranton, Lackawanna County-

A tasty treat is helping battle a deadly disease in Lackawanna County. Pizza by Pappas is raising money for pancreatic cancer research.

Mary Coolican’s family knows the hurt the deadly disease can cause.

Coolican recalled, “My mother died of pancreatic cancer at age 61, and had no symptoms before she got sick.”

So Coolican became a volunteer with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. now she’s teaming up with the crew at Pizza by Pappas on Washington Avenue in Scranton.

Pizza by Pappas Co-Owner Bill Sheakoski remarked, “It’s really a terrible cancer. they all are. But I mean, this is one that really deserves the recognition and the awareness that hopefully fundraisers like ours can provide.”

Organizers tell us 50% of every pizza purchase here Tuesday and Wednesday will help out the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. so the more pizzas you buy, the better.

And even though pancreatic cancer has only a 6% survival rate, volunteers say money for research is severely lacking.

Coolican explained, “It is one of the least funded by the National Cancer Institute. I think they only receive 2% of the funding. Yet it’s the fourth deadliest cancer in the United States.”

Sheakoski noted, “They don’t always get the recognition that a lot of the other organizations do. And we just wanted to help out.”

So Pizza by Pappas is encouraging everyone to swing by for a pizza pie. Their goal is to unload at least 1,000 pizzas over the next two days to help fight pancreatic cancer.

Sheakoski added, “It’s a win-win situation. It’s the easiest fundraiser you can do. We don’t ask you for anything. just come down- have lunch, have dinner- and we’ll donate the money on your behalf.”

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will also host a Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Night on November 27th.

For more information on this deadly disease, just head to pancan.org.