For the Conn Family, pancreatic cancer is deeply personal. Karen Conn lost her father, Howard “Howie” Sorgen, to the disease in 2019, but his memory continues to shape her family and community’s lives. From that loss, a powerful story of remembrance, youth leadership, and community collaboration has emerged.
Through Project Purple’s Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer Program, the Conns have transformed grief into action. With friends, high school athletes, and fellow gym members who have also been personally affected by the disease, they have turned personal loss into meaningful advocacy. Together, they have created a space for awareness, connection, and fundraising that reaches far beyond their own family.
Inspiration at the Gym
Karen’s first experience with Push Pull took place at Veracity Athletics, her local CrossFit gym in New Jersey, in 2019. The gym had partnered with Project Purple to host a workout event to raise awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer, organized by another member personally affected by the disease.
Karen participated shortly after losing her father, Howard, and while the event wasn’t specifically in his honor, it struck a deeply personal chord. “I remember being there and crying the whole workout, because of how raw it still was,” she recalls.
The workout’s intensity, combined with the support of the community, left a lasting impression. Karen remained connected to CrossFit, and the memory of that day and her father eventually inspired her and her daughter to transform grief into action.
A Life Remembered
Howie was, in Karen’s words, “the best.” He was the kind of person everyone turned to for advice, help, or just a laugh. “He was the most generous person ever,” she adds. “And when he found out he had pancreatic cancer, we were lucky enough to have him for another five years, but all he wanted was to make sure that my kids would always remember him.”
And they do. Karen’s children, now teenagers, still talk about “Papa” daily. “Still to this day they’ll say, ‘Oh, Papa would tell me to do this,’” Karen shares. “He was so funny, and I see my son in him—his humor, his warmth. He was the person everyone wanted to be around.”
As a grandfather, Howard made a deep impression. Karen’s 16-year-old daughter, Callie, who eventually took the reins with the Push Pull event for her grandfather, continues to honor him through her art; every project she creates finds a way to include him or a purple pancreatic cancer ribbon. “He’s just part of our every day,” Karen says.
Howard’s cancer journey began when he started feeling unusual stomach pain. Having battled ulcerative colitis, he initially thought it was a flare-up, but he knew something was different. While wintering in Florida, he texted his friend, a gastroenterologist, saying he thought something more serious was going on. After returning to New York and pushing for further tests, doctors discovered pancreatic cancer.
Howard’s persistence led to an early diagnosis that made him a candidate for the Whipple procedure. Despite the physical toll, he recovered well and went on to live nearly five more meaningful years, attending his ten grandchildren’s milestone events, traveling, and creating cherished memories with family and friends.
“He was the strongest person, the one who always had everything under control,” Karen remembers. “Even after his diagnosis, he made sure nothing was left unsaid. He told us what to do, who should speak at his funeral, even what wine to serve at his shiva. That was just him—organized, thoughtful, and full of love.”
When Howard passed, the family leaned on each other and their close-knit community for support. The experience reminded the Conns what family truly meant, and it was this bond that inspired them, with Callie taking the lead, to turn their love and memories into meaningful action.
A Granddaughter’s Inspiration
In the years since Howard’s passing, Karen’s daughter, Callie, has kept her grandfather close in her heart. Now sixteen, she channels her grief through creativity and art, but recently, Callie decided she wanted to do something more.
Remembering the Push Pull event Karen had attended years earlier, the Conns decided to bring it back, specifically in Howie’s memory. Both Karen and Callie were eager to make the event happen: Callie led the effort at her school, rallying participants and expanding it into a full community event, while Karen focused on coordinating with her gym to bring it to fruition.
Callie reached out to her high school’s field hockey team to participate and enlisted her friend Adam Rubin, whose mom is a close friend of Karen’s at the gym, to bring the football team on board, as well. The team’s coach had died from pancreatic cancer years before, giving the event an added layer of meaning for the students and community.
Quickly, the event became more than just a workout for locals at Veracity Athletics; it blossomed into a community-wide effort, bringing together families, friends, and neighbors who had all been touched by pancreatic cancer.
What made the event especially meaningful for Karen was seeing how her daughter spearheaded the event, resembling the same drive and ambition Howie lived by. “I mean, my dad was a leader—he was the CTO of a company—and she perseveres just like he did,” Karen says. “She’s confident, and when she’s passionate about something, she’s passionate about it. I had no doubt that she would take this on.”
Callie’s dedication to honoring her grandfather extends far beyond organizing a single event. Her experiences with Howard and the Push Pull event have profoundly shaped her perspective on helping others, so much so that she is now considering a future in medicine, inspired by a desire to care for and support people in meaningful ways.
Event Day and Its Impact
When the day of the Push Pull event arrived at Veracity Athletics, the gym was filled with energy, determination, and a shared sense of purpose. What began as a tribute to Howard quickly evolved into a broader celebration of community, resilience, and remembrance.
“You work out with the same people over and over again, but you don’t really talk about your families—certainly not your familial medical histories,” Karen says,
“But, once we put on the event at the gym, so many people came up to me and said, ‘Thank you for doing this, I lost a family member to pancreatic cancer.’”
Now, when Karen sees these gym members who shared their similar stories, they hug, remembering their shared experiences. As she explains, “It’s a bond over the worst experience, because you don’t want to bond over anything like this, but you kind of know what the other person went through. So you’re like, ‘We’re all here for each other now.’”
For Karen, one of the most powerful aspects of the event was the sense of agency it provided. Looking back on her father’s battle with cancer, she recalls feeling completely out of control, especially after his passing. Partnering with an organization like Project Purple and hosting an event like this, she reflects, “You feel like it’s giving you a little more control and keeping his memory alive.”
The day itself was full of energy. With so many participants, including high school athletes, families, kids, and gym members, it was a whirlwind of activity. There were moments of connection everywhere: conversations sparked over shared experiences, stories of loved ones lost, and unexpected reunions.
Karen recalls a touching moment when a gym member approached the younger football players and said, “Thank you for doing this; that was my coach,” in recognition of the football coach who had died from pancreatic cancer years before.
She truly believes all gyms should host a Push Pull event, saying, “There is no doubt that pancreatic cancer has affected at least one person in your gym.”
This effort has now expanded beyond the Push Pull: Callie has started a Project Purple Club at their high school, continuing the mission to raise awareness, organize fundraisers, and engage the community in supporting those affected by pancreatic cancer.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the day, Karen offers these parting words: “Even long after you lose somebody, you should never feel helpless. You can always do something for the cause in their memory, and it’s incredible how a community can come together to raise money and awareness for such an important cause.”
Inspired by the Conn family’s story? Visit Project Purple’s website to learn how to organize a Push Pull at your gym, or any other fundraising event, and join the movement.