Star Trek’s Most Noble Crossover Is The Real World Fight Against This Terrible Disease

Star Trek icons Jonathan Frakes, Armin Shimerman, John Billingsley, and Kitty Swink, along with Juan Carlos Coto, joined forces in a real-world crossover to fight pancreatic cancer. Of course, Frakes is best known as Commander Will Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Shimerman played Quark, and his wife, Kitty, guest-starred on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Billingsley portrayed Dr. Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise. Coto is a TV writer and showrunner who is the younger brother of Manny Coto, the late showrunner of Star Trek: Enterprise season 4.

Jonathan Frakes, Armin Shimerman, Kitty Swink, John Billingsley, and Juan Carlos Coto united as Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCan). PanCan is a wonderful organization that helps patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer find an oncologist and medical help, and it also provides support for their families and caregivers. As a team, Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer is participating in the annual PanCan PurpleStride benefit, taking place on Saturday, April 26, in cities nationwide. Click here to donate to Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer and learn more.

I was delighted to join Kitty Swink, Armin Shimerman, John Billingsley, Juan Carlos Coto, and Jonathan Frakes when they appeared on Virtual Trek Con's The Main Viewer to promote PanCan PurpleStride. I joined The Main Viewer's hosts, Ryan T. Husk, Malissa Longo, and Jenny R. Johnson, to hear about the history of Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer and how to support PanCan PurpleStride.

Why Jonathan Frakes, Kitty Swink, Armin Shimerman, John Billingsley & Juan Carlos Cotos Formed Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer

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As team Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer explained on Virtual Trek Con's The Main Viewer,Kitty Swink is a 20+ year pancreatic cancer survivor with the help of her husband, Armin Shimerman. Kitty and Armin reached out to Jonathan Frakes, whose younger brother, Daniel Frakes, died of pancreatic cancer because he was diagnosed too late. John Billingsley then joined the group; John's mother passed away from pancreatic cancer. Finally, Juan Carlos Coto is the newest member, joining in honor of his late brother, Manny Coto.

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Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer is one of the top fundraising teams in the United States, thanks to the support of Star Trek fans. In fact, Juan Carlos Coto was the highest fundraising individual in 2024. The other Star Trek actors joke that Jonathan Frakes is especially competitive about raising money, but all the funds each individual raises also benefit Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer's overall team total. Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer's 2025 PanCan PurpleStride fundraising goal is $150,000, and they have, as of this writing, reached 84% of their goal with over $125,000 raised.

The money raised for PanCan is even more vital now to continue the work to save lives.

One of PanCan's missions is to raise the survival rate of patients, which is currently 13%. While that may seem low, thanks to PanCan's work, that number is three times what it was years ago. Of course, the hope is to find a cure for pancreatic cancer. Another reason PanCan PurpleStride's fundraising is so important is that the federal government recently cut funding for pancreatic cancer research. The money raised for PanCan is even more vital now to continue the work to save lives from pancreatic cancer.

How Star Trek Fans Can Get Involved With Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer

Here Are Ways To Donate And Get Involved With PanCan

Star Trek fans who support Gene Roddenberry's hopeful and inclusive vision for a better future are encouraged to join the efforts of Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer. There are a few ways to help. First, fans can donate to Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer at purplestride.org/teamtrek. Of course, Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer would enjoy the bragging rights of being the top fundraising team in the country.

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Another way to get involved is to walk in PanCan PurpleStride in any of the events held in the 60 cities in the United States on Saturday, April 26. For Star Trek fans who are Los Angeles-based, they can even join Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer and walk with Kitty Swink, John Billingsley, and Juan Carlos Cotos, as well as thousands of other PanCan supporters and volunteers, at Santa Monica Beach.

Even after this year's PanCan PurpleStride is over, fans are encouraged to keep donating to Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer and PanCan.

I was fortunate to walk with team Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer at last year's PanCan PurpleStride in Santa Monica. It was a fantastic and uplifting morning I shared with friends, and we also had a blast meeting Jonathan Frakes, Armin Shimerman, Kitty Swink, John Billingsley, and Juan Carlos Cotos in person. A surprise bonus was Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Jess Bush joining the walk at Frakes' invitation. PanCan PurpleStride was such a joyous celebration, and I'm looking forward to participating in this year's walk.

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Jonathan Frakes remains sought-after as a director, and Star Trek fans will soon see his episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, which will finally premiere this summer on Paramount+. Frakes directed a noir-inspired "Hollywood murder mystery" episode of Strange New Worlds season 3 that he called "the best hour of TV" he's ever done. Jonathan is also directing the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1, which is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in 2026.

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Armin Shimerman, Kitty Swink, and John Billingsley are beloved Star Trek legacy actors who are happy to meet fans at Star Trek conventions nationwide. In March, Armin finished directing an acclaimed production of Twelfth Night, which starred Kitty. Billingsley helps run the Hollywood Food Coalition, which just raised over $80,000 during its annual Trek Talks 4 telethon, which was held on First Contact Day (April 5). Coto is an executive producer, writer, and director of Fox's 9-1-1.

Captain Will Riker, Quark, and Dr. Phlox as a real-world team is an unbeatable combination.

Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer's members are proud to be eternally linked to Star Trek, and they are counting on Star Trek fans' support in the fight against pancreatic cancer. Captain Will Riker, Quark, and Dr. Phlox as a real-world team is an unbeatable combination.