COEUR d'ALENE - A dedicated group of North Idaho people - mainly friends and family members of victims of pancreatic cancer - are hoping to see a tide of purple in town a week from today.

"PurpleRide," a bicycle ride and picnic fundraiser, takes place Aug. 28. Hosted by members of the local chapter of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the purpose of the ride is to raise funds for research and heighten awareness of the deadly disease.

"The diagnosis is grim," said Debbie Angle, of Kellogg.

Angle, a member of the group and a seven-year survivor of the disease, was told she had 3 to 6 months back in 2003 when she received her diagnosis.

Angle didn't know anything about pancreatic cancer at the time, just that people were telling her it was deadly.

She found the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's website where she read blogs written by people with the disease. Angle learned how others were dealing with it, and what to expect. She also learned she wasn't alone. She found some hope.

"The survival rate is less than 5 percent," Angle said. "I figured somebody has to be that 5 percent, and I decided I was going to be one of them."

Surviving for Angle meant a full year of chemotherapy, weeks of radiation and major surgery. It also meant keeping up with regular visits to her oncologist, and more surgery when a spot was found on her lung.

She isn't undergoing any treatment at this time, but Angle still visits her oncologist frequently.

"There needs to be more education for people. They need to know you can beat this disease, if it's caught early," Angle said.

The problem is, there are usually no early warning signs.

"I just got lucky. I knew my body well enough to know something wasn't right, and I didn't ignore it," Angle said. "It's very important that we find a way to detect those early signs."

Just 26 percent of pancreatic cancer patients survive the first year after diagnosis, and only 4 percent make it to five years.

Money raised by the Aug. 28 bike ride fundraiser will be used for research to find an early detection method, and for other research.

The main bike ride is a 36-mile cruise along the Centennial Trail from Mission Park in Spokane to Riverstone Park Coeur d'Alene. There are two shorter distance rides offered.

Following the ride there will be a community picnic with entertainment by the Kelly Hughes Band.

To register for the ride, visit www.pancan.org/purpleride. The $20 registration fee includes a shirt and one picnic ticket. Picnic tickets are $10 for anyone who doesn't participate in the ride.

Information: 640-6341