Meet Maureen Shul of WINGS OF HOPE for Pancreatic Cancer Research in Castle Pines

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maureen Shul.

Maureen, before we jump into specific questions about your organization, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Thank you so much for this opportunity. Approximately ten years ago, I lost my brother and mother to pancreatic cancer within months of one another. Before this insidious disease barged into our lives, I had no concept of what pancreatic cancer was, let alone a pancreas. The fact that two very physically healthy people could be diagnosed with this type of cancer was astounding and opened my eyes to every facet of this disease. What you learn first and foremost is how deadly pancreatic cancer is. When people are diagnosed it is usually in the later stage when treatments are no longer effective. And so it was with my brother and mother. Losses this profound change you in ways you do not expect and cannot control. At that time I was Mayor of the City of Castle Pines but felt myself being led to a very different path, to help raise awareness and funding for pancreatic cancer research.

But knew I was being led to do something to help raise awareness and funding for pancreatic cancer research. With absolutely no experience in non-profit organizations, I founded WINGS OF HOPE FOR PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH in 2012. The mission was to ensure every dollar raised went directly toward raising awareness and funding for pancreatic cancer research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. The partnership between WINGS OF HOPE and the CU Cancer Center was formally established in 2013 and has grown into a formidable collaboration in terms of aggressively moving pancreatic cancer research forward. To date, WINGS OF HOPE has given close to $1 million for pancreatic cancer research through annual grants to those working on pancreatic cancer-related research projects at Anschutz Medical Campus.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Sometimes it is good not to be aware of the obstacles ahead when you begin a venture like this. I had no concept of the challenges non-profit organizations face, especially when starting out, but for me it was all a learning curve and experience, and every day it seems I learn something new as to how things can be done better and more effectively. It’s not that the road was smooth or there were that many struggles. The reality is that it takes a lot of work. Still, if you feel passionate about what you are doing, if you have the support of extremely kind and generous people, if the entity you are raising funding for is as passionate about the mission as you are, it all comes together. Every obstacle becomes more manageable and always makes the effort that much stronger.

Please tell us about WINGS OF HOPE for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
What I am most proud of is the fact that every dollar raised for WINGS OF HOPE FOR PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH goes directly toward raising awareness and funding for pancreatic cancer research at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. There are no salaries, no overhead, no expenses other than for events. This is an entirely volunteer effort, and I believe that is what sets it apart from the majority of other non-profit organizations.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The feedback we hear most often is that people want to give to an organization where the dollars are being used locally and that it is a volunteer-driven effort. I did not have any motive doing it that way other than wanting to keep the goal, purpose and mission as clear and effective as possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wingsofhopepcr.org
• Phone: 720-733-0491
• Email: info@wingsofhopepcr.org

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