About Doris Bowdoin & the Witches of St. Andrews
Sometimes the most meaningful journeys begin with the words no one ever expects to hear: “You have cancer.”
In September 2014, Doris Bowdoin, a vibrant Panama City resident, had just celebrated her 70th birthday surrounded by family and friends. She felt healthy, active, and full of life. Like many pancreatic cancer patients, she had no warning signs and no reason to believe anything was wrong. Then, one morning, she woke up and noticed that her eyes had turned yellow. Within days, she received the devastating diagnosis of Stage III pancreatic cancer, along with a daunting survival rate of only 5 to 8 percent.
Pancreatic cancer is often called the “silent killer” because symptoms rarely appear until the disease has already advanced. The statistics were frightening, and the prognosis was uncertain. Doris was scared, but she refused to give up.
Determined to fight, Doris began researching every treatment option available. Her search led her to the University of Alabama at Birmingham and renowned pancreatic surgeon Dr. Sushanth Reddy. On October 31, 2014, Halloween Day, Doris underwent a complex Whipple procedure, one of the most difficult surgeries performed for pancreatic cancer patients. The surgery saved her life.
The road that followed was anything but easy. Doris endured complications, chemotherapy, hospitalizations, and months of recovery. Through it all, she demonstrated extraordinary courage, determination, and faith. She fought for every step forward and never lost hope. Eventually, the treatments worked, the scans became clear, and the survivor became a warrior.
Today, Doris has been a Stage III pancreatic cancer survivor since 2014 and continues to live an active and inspiring life that defies the odds she was once given. Her journey has become a source of hope for countless others facing similar battles.
But Doris’s journey did not end with survival.
After surviving pancreatic cancer, Doris and four of her best friends, Cindi Bubolo, Pat Rea, Leslie Newmans, and Kathy Benner, became increasingly aware of how many families were facing the same frightening diagnosis. They understood the emotional, physical, and financial challenges that accompany pancreatic cancer and recognized how desperately more research, awareness, patient support, and early detection efforts were needed.
Wanting to celebrate Doris’s survival and bring hope to others, the group embraced a playful Halloween witch theme inspired by the timing of Doris’s lifesaving Whipple procedure on October 31, 2014, and founded the nonprofit Witches of St. Andrews, Inc. in 2017.
What started as a small gathering of women dressed as witches and riding decorated bicycles through Historic St. Andrews quickly captured the attention and imagination of the community.
The organization’s first ride was modest, but its purpose was powerful: to support pancreatic cancer patients and their families, raise awareness, and fund research dedicated to earlier detection methods and, ultimately, a cure.
What began as a tribute to one survivor soon grew into a mission much larger than anyone had imagined. Year after year, the event grew. More witches joined. More decorated bicycles rolled through the streets of St. Andrews. More lives were touched. The community rallied behind the cause because the mission had a face, a name, and a purpose.
That purpose was inspired by Doris Bowdoin’s courage, resilience, and determination to turn one woman’s battle into hope for others.
Over the years, Witches of St. Andrews, Inc. grew far beyond its beginnings as a local charity ride. As the organization’s reach, programs, and mission expanded, its leaders recognized the need for a name that better represented the people and communities it served.
In March 2026, Witches of St. Andrews, Inc. became Emerald Coast Pancreatic Cancer Initiative, Inc., reflecting the organization’s expanded commitment to serving pancreatic cancer patients and families throughout the Emerald Coast of Florida.
Today, Emerald Coast Pancreatic Cancer Initiative is a community of hope. The organization provides financial assistance to local pancreatic cancer patients and their families, supports research efforts dedicated to early detection and finding a cure, raises awareness about the disease, and reminds every person facing pancreatic cancer that they are not alone.
The beloved Witches of St. Andrews Ride for the Cure remains an important part of the organization’s history and continues to bring the community together in support of pancreatic cancer patients and their families.
In a meaningful full-circle moment, Dr. Sushanth Reddy, the surgeon who helped save Doris’s life, served as the Grand Marshal for the 2024 Witches of St. Andrews Ride for the Cure.
Every witch hat, every decorated bicycle, every sponsorship, every donation, and every mile traveled carries forward Doris’s legacy. It is a legacy built on courage, compassion, hope, and the belief that together, we can make a difference in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
This is our story. It began with one woman’s fight to survive. It continues through every person who joins us in the fight to end pancreatic cancer.