Beating the Drum for a Worthy Cause

Abbie Blagovich Green

Abbie was just 26 when her mom and best friend, Linda Parkinson Blagovich, 53, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Now, over two decades later, the pain of her loss is still a fresh wound, as Abbie was forced to confront what she feared most: losing a parent.

Abbie remembers her mom, Linda, as a natural leader who was genuine and kind, the type of person whose smile lit up the room and who everyone, including Abbie’s friends, loved to be around. In April 2004, Linda thought she caught hepatitis from a student on the school bus she drove because she became jaundiced, and her bilirubin level was significantly elevated. While Linda was in the hospital awaiting an official diagnosis, Abbie left briefly to buy pizza that Linda was craving from her favorite pizza shop in her Ohio neighborhood. When she returned with the pizza, hoping to enjoy a quiet meal with her mom, she was instead confronted with devastating news—Linda didn’t have hepatitis after all. While Abbie was at the pizza shop, Linda’s doctor told her she had pancreatic cancer. Linda was otherwise healthy and had no family history of pancreatic cancer, making the diagnosis a profound shock.

However, instead of dwelling on this life-altering news, Linda insisted on maintaining the positive outlook she always had, and heartily told Abbie, “Let’s eat pizza!” She focused on staying strong for her family—her husband Sam, her son Chuck, and Abbie. Sam, then 56 and newly retired, was shattered to even contemplate a future without his beloved wife of over 33 years.

Linda’s tumor was wrapped around her bile duct, and initially, doctors believed it was caught early and that she was a candidate for the Whipple surgery. However, during the procedure, the surgeon discovered her tumor was positioned in such a way that he couldn’t safely remove it. Instead, the Whipple was cancelled, and Linda underwent a grueling regimen of chemotherapy and radiation, losing more than 100 pounds. A devout Catholic since childhood, Linda had rarely missed Mass until she became too sick and weak to attend services during her treatment. “My mom’s strong faith kept her going, because she believed in something bigger than herself, which comforted our family,” Abbie shared.

Following her mom’s passing at 54 on June 5, 2005, Abbie often discussed with her dad the possibility of organizing a golf fundraiser in her mom’s memory, but the event never materialized. Then, after Abbie lost her father to mesothelioma in 2022, Abbie’s husband Rick mentioned the golf fundraiser idea again; this time, she was determined to make it happen to honor both of her parents’ memories and reminisce about her time on the golf course learning the game from her dad.

Abbie discovered the Lustgarten Foundation through online research and was immediately drawn to the Foundation’s mission of advancing the best science to transform pancreatic cancer into a curable disease. She organized and held the first annual Blagovich Memorial Golf Tournament in 2023, with guidance from her husband Rick, who had experience running a golf league and an annual golfing event. In addition to golf, the event includes games and a raffle featuring over 50 donated prizes. August 30, 2025—what would’ve been Abbie’s mom’s 75^th birthday—will mark the third annual Blagovich Memorial Golf Tournament, attracting more than 30 teams and 120 participants. “I really enjoy interacting with the attendees, listening to my friend sing the national anthem, and watching everyone admire the banner of my parents from when they first met in 1970 and their love story began,” Abbie shared.

Half of the proceeds benefit the Lustgarten Foundation, and the other half support mesothelioma research. From the first two golf events, Abbie donated $6,000 to support Lustgarten’s pancreatic cancer research initiatives—contributions she is hopeful will make a difference in the lives of current and future patients and their families, so they won’t have to go through what her family did. “I want people to feel good about helping others by raising awareness and research funding, while honoring my parents. With each event detail I plan and email I send asking for support, I’m doing something meaningful to remember my mom and dad and pay tribute to everything they meant to me. Being their daughter is an incredible blessing.”

Abbie advises others who want to get involved in fundraising to start small by taking the first, most critical step—asking family and friends for donations. “Raising money for cancer research is important enough for me to let my guard down and ask others to donate on behalf of someone lost way too soon,” Abbie emphasized. “I am so grateful for, and proud to support, the Lustgarten Foundation, an organization that beats the drum for such a worthy cause.”

For more information about the Blagovich Memorial Golf Tournament, contact Abbie Blagovich Green at [email protected].