A year ago, Hazen wrestling coach Rory Magana’s father Rodney sat on the sideline and watched as the Highlanders faced off in a double dual. This year the same event will be held at Hazen, but the seat will be empty.

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 2010, Rodney passed away at 55 years old June 18, 2011. It’s because of that loss that Magana has turned the double dual match into the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Night at Hazen Jan. 13.

“A big part of the problem is that there isn’t much awareness,” Magana said. “With awareness comes funding and with funding comes improvement.”

The double dual wrestling tournament features the Highlanders, Oak Harbor, Highline and Chief Sealth. Doors open at 5 p.m. and donations will be accepted at the door for the entry fee. There will be informational booths set up, a bake sale and other small fundraising items. Magana will give a short introduction speech and the wrestling will start at 6 p.m.

“It will be on a smaller scale since it’s our first year,” Magana said. “We’re just aiming for raising awareness and a little bit of funding.”

Despite being the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, just two percent of the National Cancer Institute’s research budget went to pancreatic cancer research in 2010, according to the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

Treatment options are limited unless the cancer is caught very early, which is unusual since there are few specific symptoms for pancreatic cancer. Surgical removal of the tumor is an option less than 20 percent of the time. Because of this, pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers at 94 percent within the first five years of diagnosis, according to the Hirshberg Foundation. It is one of few cancers for which the survival rate has not improved greatly in the past 40 years.

Numbers like these left Magana and his family in shock last October when his father was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer that had already spread to his liver.

“It feels like you’re just dropped out in the middle of the desert,” he said. “Like you’re left for dead with no hope.”

Magana hopes that raising awareness, and then funding, will help the cause, so that others don’t have to go through the same frustrations.

“I remember when I was younger, breast cancer was almost like a death sentence,” Magana, 27, said. “Now that’s changed and it all started with people being aware of the situation.”