Dirty Dancing was definitely one of the most significant movies in Patrick Swayze's life. In 1987, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as Johnny Castle in the film. Now, the residents of the North Carolina town where the movie was filmed are planning a memorial service in the remembrance of the actor. This Saturday, the town of Lake Lure will hold a memorial service at 7 p.m. at the Firefly Cove, which was the housing development that served as Camp Chimney in Dirty Dancing, reports Usmagazine.com. Everyone is welcome, as it is a free service, however, visitors will be asked to donate to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Jennifer Grey, who played Baby in Dirty Dancing alongside Swayze, recently opened up about her costar saying he was "a real cowboy with a tender heart. "Patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace," she told Us in a statement. "He was fearless and insisted on always doing his own stunts, so it was not surprising to me that the war he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified." Patrick... we hope you had the time of your life.

Patrick Swayze died after a battle with pancreatic cancer on Monday at the age of 57 and The Boots Girls will always remember him as one of the most pleasurable celebrities we were lucky enough to meet. "Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement. The actor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008, but he continued to work here in Chicago all last year filming The Beast including on his 56th birthday last summer. We find it a little ironic that Swayze passed away on a day filled with entertainment news stories mostly about bad behavior from celebrities. Just to go over a few: *Kanye West's Outburst at the VMA's *Whitney Houston: Bobby Brown Spat on Me! *Serena Williams' Meltdown on the Court *Madonna's Selfish Tribute to Michael Jackson *Barack Obama Calls Kanye A "Jackass" *Kate Gosselin Admits She Had a Meltdown We bring this up because, unlike the majority of the trash in Hollywood, Swayze was a class act. You never heard anything negative about this humble man and he was always pleasant to everyone he encountered. Although he was going through chemotherapy and battling a deadly disease, whenever we saw him filming and out and about in Chi-Town last summer he was in a good mood and never failed to have a big smile on his face! On top of that, he had an amazing marriage with his longtime love Lisa Niemi who always stood by his side. Many of Swayze's peers could learn A LOT about the way he dealt with his fame and carried himself. He will be greatly missed!

(404): i hope kanye doesn't show up to patrick swayze's funeral. " i'll let you get back to your funeral in a minute...but michael jackson had the best death of the year. just sayinnn ". The Boots Girls are LOFAO! - Courtesy Texts From Last Night

Patrick Swayze is smoking da ganja to deal with his discomfort from pancreatic cancer these days! Swayze has found that smoking doobies helps ease his nausea, insomnia and anxiety, a family insider told the National Enquirer. He's recently gained a little weight and feels more "normal than he has in months," the source added. Swayze has been looking healthier and less gaunt since turning to the dope. "Patrick was rapidly losing weight because he couldn't keep food down," a source said. "He was so weak, he needed help getting around." Friends and doctors persuaded the Dirty Dancing hunk to turn to the happy green leaf to ease his pain. "Patrick and his brother Donnie get together almost every day and smoke a joint," a source said. "They have been seen smoking weed on the roof of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center while Patrick was getting a treatment." We're glad to hear that Swayze has gained weight and is looking healthier! That man is a walking miracle!

Patrick Swayze’s A&E drama The Beast has been cancelled after airing for one season. Swayze, who starred as an FBI vet, boldly shot the full first season of the series last year right here in Chicago despite his devastating diagnosis and treatment for pancreatic cancer. The show premiered in January and even though it was not a ratings hit, the show still did reach an average audience of over a million viewers per episode. Swayze and his wife, Lisa Niemi are releasing a memoir this fall. The book will detail Swayze’s life as a child, his career, his marriage with Niemi and his public fight against cancer.

The producers of Patrick Swayze’s FBI drama The Beast are denying that the series has been canceled. The A&E network has said that no decision has been made about the show, according to ETOnline.com. Swayze will continue shooting the series despite his diagnosis and treatment for pancreatic cancer. The executive producer of The Beast, John Romano, said earlier this year that the production team was confident about Swayze’s return and the star had been ambitious about moving on with the show. "We're taking our cues from him," Romano said. "He's giving us every sign that we're rolling forward; here comes season two. That's the energy he's giving out and that's the way we're doing the show."

Despite radio reports that claimed Patrick Swayze passed away this morning, the actor is still alive and well. "This is to confirm that Patrick Swayze did not pass away this morning contrary to severely reckless reports stemming from a radio station in Jacksonville, Florida," his rep told Usmagazine.com. "Patrick Swayze is alive, well and is enjoying his life and he continues to respond to treatment." The actor has been undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments since he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008. Additionally, this is not the first time the press has made up stories on his condition. In March, Swayze refuted reports by the National Enquirer that he only had weeks to live. "I am one of the lucky ones with pancreatic cancer that is responding well to the treatment," he responded at the time. "There is a brand new, 12-week old, Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy named Kumasai in my life who is gorgeous and already showing that he will be one special dog... I have so much to be thankful for at this time." We're so glad to hear Patrick is still alive and well, and hope his condition continues to improve! To the radio personalities who reported his death - shame on them!!!

Patrick Swayze pays tribute to his Waking Up in Reno co-star, Natasha Richardson, in a statement he released Monday. "It is such a great loss to this community to lose an actress and person such as Natasha. Gifts like her don't come along very often. It's a rare thing in this industry to have someone with so much talent, beauty, and dedication and yet is imbued with such humility. I know for me and many other people, the world will be a different place without her. "My heart goes out to Liam and his two boys, but I'm sure that Natasha's light is shining down on them." It's a classic Swayze move to end his statement on a high note!

Patrick Swayze is debunking National Enquirer headlined "The End" about his imminent death. In a new statement released Wednesday night, Swayze says he has a lot to be thankful for and that he is responding positively to treatment. Swayze says, “It’s amazing to me that the tabloids such as the National Enquirer print such negative stories about me and my health when there are so many positive things going on in my life right now. I’ve started a new chemotherapy and, once again, I am one of the lucky ones with pancreatic cancer that is responding well to the treatment. There is a brand new, twelve week old, Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy named Kumasai in my life who is gorgeous and already showing that he will be one special dog. I am starting work on my new book, in addition to enjoying the fantastic response from everyone on my A&E series The Beast. I hope in the future, the press will think twice about printing inaccuracies and painting an unpleasant picture when I have so much to be thankful for at this time.” He's got the right attitude. Ignore the haters and enjoy everyday Patrick!

Patrick Swayze has written a letter to Congress pleading members for their help in his battle with pancreatic cancer in Sunday's Washington Post. "Our individual battles should also be national ones," The Beast star writes. "With Congress about to decide how much money to include for medical research as part of the economic stimulus package, the time has come to take my personal fight to a larger stage. My message to our senators and representatives is simple: Vote for the maximum funding to let the National Institutes of Health fight cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. It's not only good for our nation's health; it's also good for our economic well-being. "When I was growing up in Texas, my family had a simple response for challenges like this: 'Stop talking about it, and do something about it,'" he continues. "That's how I feel about finding more money for cancer research. My hope is that some day, the words 'a cure' won't be followed by the words 'is impossible.'" The star concludes his letter with, "So here's my plea to Congress: Stand up to cancer. Stand up for people fighting serious disease. Stand up and help restore America's economy. Stand up and help build a prosperous and healthy future for our people by giving the NIH $10 billion for research. Stand up to create jobs, fight illness and deliver hope." Keep up the positive attitude and fighting the good fight Patrick!