DAVENPORT, IOWA (September 21, 2026) — The Dr Brent Ohl Strong Pancreatic Cancer Support and Awareness Organization will bring its annual Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Tailgate to a new location this year: The Starlight Ballroom at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, 2815 W Locust Street, Davenport.
The event will be held Saturday, October 24, 11AM-3PM, bringing together the excitement of an Iowa Hawkeye football Saturday with an even greater purpose: Raising pancreatic-cancer awareness and providing direct support to pancreatic-cancer patients and their families throughout the greater Quad Cities area.
The move to the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds marks an exciting new chapter for Ohl Strong and provides additional space for the growing community of patients, survivors, families, friends, and supporters who gather each year. The family-friendly event will feature a traditional Iowa Hawkeye tailgate atmosphere along with silent auction items, raffle baskets, face-painting, caricatures by Draw Me Bill, food and drinks, and other activities throughout the afternoon.
A Tradition of Remembering — and Giving Hope
One of the most meaningful traditions of the annual event is the Ohl Strong pancreatic-cancer awareness merchandise. Each year, new shirts and sweatshirts are created featuring the names of people whose lives have been touched by pancreatic cancer. Names from previous years remain on the design, creating a growing tribute to those who have fought pancreatic cancer, those who continue to fight and those whose memories live on.
Attendees are encouraged to wear their Ohl Strong apparel — or anything purple — and help turn the Starlight Ballroom into a sea of purple in recognition of pancreatic-cancer awareness.
Event Highlights
· NEW LOCATION: Starlight Ballroom, Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, 2815 W Locust Street, Davenport
· Saturday, October 24, 2026, 11AM-3PM
· Iowa Hawkeye football tailgate
· Silent auction and raffle items
· Face-painting
· Caricatures by Draw Me Bill
· Food and drinks
· Annual Ohl Strong shirts and sweatshirts honoring those affected by pancreatic cancer
· Opportunities to honor, remember and support pancreatic cancer patients and loved ones
Supporting Pancreatic Cancer Patients Right Here at Home
One-hundred percent of event proceeds support the Dr Brent Ohl Strong Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Endowment Fund and its mission of helping pancreatic-cancer patients and families in the greater Quad Cities area.
Every identified pancreatic-cancer patient within a 75-mile radius receives $500 in Visa gift cards to help ease some of the financial burdens that can accompany a cancer diagnosis.
Each patient packet also includes an application for the Make a Memory/Ohl Opportunity Grant, allowing the patient to request additional financial support to create a meaningful memory with the people they love.
