For Patrick (Pat) Campion, 2024 was a year of extremes: grief, creativity, and the beginning of a new venture. His mother, Kathy Campion, passed away from pancreatic cancer in late July of that year. What began as a spark of an idea during her final weeks grew into something everlasting. The Saratoga Hat Company has become a thriving brand that celebrates the vibrancy of Saratoga Springs and its horse racing culture, all while honoring his mother’s spirit and raising funds for pancreatic cancer.
Starting the Saratoga Hat Company
Pat has always loved hats, a passion cultivated through his travels and adventures over the years. But the idea for a hat business happened to arrive as his mom’s pancreatic cancer progressed. “It was really in that last month of her life when the idea dawned on me,” Pat recalls. “I would just start the day up at her bedside, letting my brain run and start sketching out initial ideas.”
The company officially launched with its first formal designs in April of this year, after months of preparation starting in July of 2024, in the thick of Kathy’s final weeks. Working on designs throughout the winter months, Pat poured energy into creating customizable hats that reflected the incredible spirit of Upstate New York and Saratoga Springs’ iconic horse racing culture.
“Saratoga really is ripe for different artwork and designs that can go on a hat, and it gets people excited and aware of all the things that this area offers and all the excitement around horse racing,” he says.
The town itself, a summer hub drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors, offered a perfect backdrop for the business. Pat spent time walking around Saratoga and reflecting during his mom’s fight against pancreatic cancer. There, he became inspired, describing the moment he thought of the business idea as “a fortuitous lightbulb that went off.” He then scouted the types of merchandise already available.
“I did a little searching around town and felt there was an opportunity and a market to create some unique hats,” he explains. “So I LLC’d Saratoga Hat Company. It was available. And just having that name ‘Saratoga’ attached to any business around here can be really useful.”
From sketches to working with graphic designers, Pat refined his ideas and partnered with a manufacturing company that allowed for customizable designs, giving him creative flexibility while maintaining quality.
He emphasizes that this was a personal project, a way to channel all his emotions that come with a loved one suffering into something productive. “Just going through the challenges, my brain just clicked and I had something that I wanted to run with. I was trying to channel that energy into something to get my mind off of all the things the family was going through,” Pat reflects.
“Especially those first six, seven months following the passing of someone from pancreatic cancer, you need to channel that grief somehow, so this was my way of doing that.”
Kathy’s Fight and the Woman She Was
Pat’s mother, Kathy, was a retired middle school French and Spanish teacher, a volunteer, a traveler, and a lover of life. Her 35-plus years of marriage to Pat’s father were filled with laughter, positivity, and adventure. In her final weeks, Pat was able to share his ideas for the company with her, and she supported her son’s creative pursuits.
She was such a compassionate mentor to Pat, reflecting that throughout his entire life, his mom was always so supportive. “She was just so open-minded and encouraging, always saying ‘yes’ to new ideas and creative ideas, and that’s a reflection of being a teacher,” Pat says. As an educator for more than 30 years, his mom was used to dealing with a lot of energy from people, “motivating both kids and my brother and I to go forward and pursue our passion about things.”
She got to see some of the early sketches, and just saw the excitement in my eyes about it. And as weak as she was over the last few weeks of her life, she was just holding my hand and had such positive energy toward it and said, ‘Go for it.’ And that’s how she was.”
Kathy’s zest for life extended beyond teaching. She traveled extensively, being fluent in different languages, embracing new cultures and experiences. When Pat thinks about what his favorite thing about his mom was, his answer was immediate.
“She was a daredevil,” he laughs. “You’d never expect it at first, but she was always open to extreme sports or adventures. Just months before she got her diagnosis, she was ziplining in Costa Rica. She was always up for rollercoasters or cliff jumping at lakes, so I got a bit of adrenaline junkie influence from her.”
Her influence extended to Pat’s work ethic and perspective, traits that he feels he and his mom shared. “My mom was really consistent with her attitude on things. She tried to stick with whatever she started and see it through,” he recalls. “I’ve adopted some of that, and this whole process just taught me that. She was always compassionate toward others who needed help, both with friends and through volunteer work, especially with kids with special needs.”
Kathy’s cancer diagnosis came after weeks of back pain. Initially, doctors credited it to gallbladder issues or gastroenteritis, but the pain persisted and moved toward her abdomen. After performing a CT scan, advanced pancreatic cancer was revealed, having spread to the liver and other areas.
“It was just a few weeks before that she started having the pain, and then boom, the doctor said to her: ‘You have very progressed pancreatic cancer,’” Pat says, noting that chemotherapy was not a viable option, unfortunately. “From her diagnosis in early May to her passing on July 25th was about 80 days. It was quick.”
Even during the rapid decline, Kathy remained present and engaged with her family, embodying the courage and positivity admired by so many. Hospice care helped manage her pain during the end of her life, and Pat remembers her composure and bravery with profound respect. “She took it like such a hero in my eyes,” he reflects.
A Bigger Purpose: Connecting with Project Purple
In the midst of processing his mother’s illness, Pat discovered Project Purple while searching online. The organization immediately resonated with him, particularly its Blanket of Hope initiative.
Kathy, like many other pancreatic cancer patients, experienced extreme discomfort from constantly feeling cold, and the idea of comfort packages struck a chord. “I thought, if I could raise some money to keep sending those care packages out, especially for those who get the Stage 4 news, a little comfort package like that can mean a lot,” Pat says.
Project Purple became a way for Pat to transform grief into action. Through his work with the Saratoga Hat Company, he has been able to support the organization by having a portion of his proceeds donated, and extend the care he wished for his mother to others in need. “It’s humbling to see that,” he says. “It makes me feel like I’m honoring my mom while helping people who are going through something similar.”
Pat truly feels like he is channeling his mom through this act of giving back to the pancreatic cancer community through his company. Because Kathy was an avid volunteer who loved supporting the people around her, Pat doing that same thing feels so special. “I’m hoping this is a sign of me just trying to carry that on as well, and I think the hats have been great because I’ve been helping Project Purple out,” he mentions. “I want to grow that, and I’ve helped two or three other nonprofit foundations so far, so it’s nice to give back.”
Advice for Loved Ones and What the Future Holds
Reflecting on this journey, Pat offers advice for anyone facing a similar situation: “The news of pancreatic cancer can really shock you, and it’s going to take time to absorb it. Don’t let it negatively affect your days. Find a kernel of positive energy and channel it.” For him, that meant creating the Saratoga Hat Company, but he emphasizes that it could be any outlet: a hobby, volunteering, running, or simply spending quality time with loved ones. He wants people to know that if you have lost a loved one, “they would love for you to carry on their memory by doing something and enjoying life still, and trying something new.”
He encourages making the most of the time you have with your loved ones, with or without a cancer diagnosis. “Take that time if you can do it before your parent suffers from something like this, just give them a hug, reach out.”
Looking forward, Pat has ambitious plans for the company. He wants to expand custom hats for local businesses and deepen connections with the horse racing scene, including designing for jockeys like Katie Davis, a top competitor at Saratoga. “The sport has a chance to raise the profile of some of these world-class athletes that get overlooked,” he says.
Pat also hopes to continue partnering with Project Purple, giving back while growing his business. “It’s just been fast and furious, which has been great,” he says. “I want to keep supporting causes that matter.” He plans to collaborate with Project Purple for a special Saratoga Company Hat, which both organizations are very excited about.
For Pat, the Saratoga Hat Company is more than a business: it’s a tribute, a community builder, and a way to carry forward his mother’s legacy. Through each hat, he hopes to honor Kathy’s spirit, compassion, and unwavering support. “All of this is driven by what happened to my mom,” he says. “I feel like this is a way to keep her story alive while creating something meaningful for the future.”
To learn more about the Saratoga Hat Company, visit their website.
To make an impact in the fight against pancreatic cancer, make a donation to Project Purple.
