• A Great Day for the Bandana Bolt

    “The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation defines a survivor as anyone living with a history of cancer – from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life.”

    This year we celebrated our 8th annual Bandana Bolt the same day as the 33rd National Cancer Survivors Day. Our hearts at 13thirty Cancer Connect were warmed by the overwhelming virtual participation in this year’s Bandana Bolt 5k run/walk. We had participation all over the country, from coast to coast celebrating cancer survivors everywhere.


    “Fun Facts” about the Bandana Bolt 5K:

    • Bandanas are often worn by AYAs in treatment, hence the name – Bandana Bolt!
    • Although held virtually, 2020 was the 8th Annual Race. 2013 was our first year and we haven’t stopped running since!
    • The Rochester race is always held at Seneca Park.
    • The first few years the race was held in the fall, the morning right after Journeys!
    • With the exception of the 2020 design, the bandana design is typically a snapshot of a piece of work from NYC based artist and one of Melissa’s brothers, Mark Sengbusch. One of her other brother’s Matthew, helps us with the graphic design.
    • Every year, our AYAs create handmade custom butterfly medals for our race winners (due to COVID-19, we missed the tradition this year!)
    • The 1st Annual Bandana Bolt 5K – Syracuse will be held on Sunday, October 4th at Green Lakes Park. Fingers crossed!

    Not only does the Bandana Bolt help 13thirty Cancer Connect support our AYAs living with cancer, it raises nationwide awareness on their behalf. There’s no “good” time to have cancer, but being an AYA living with cancer is particularly challenging. AYAs are caught in the gap between pediatric and adult medicine and have seen little improvement in survival rates compared to other groups. Being separated from their peers and dealing with a diminished self-image presents unique challenges for AYAs. Read more about how 13thirty Cancer Connect advocates for AYAs living with cancer.

    Can’t get enough of this year’s Bandana Bolt? Check out our Facebook page for more photos.

  • parent programs

    Parent Programs

    Parent Happy Hour

    At 13thirty Cancer Connect, we’ve been hosting frequent programs on Zoom for our AYAs in both Rochester and Syracuse. We finally got the chance to catch up with our 13thirty parents this month at our Parent Happy Hour program. 13thirty parents joined a Zoom call to connect with one another and catch up since quarantine went into effect.

    A note from our Founder & Executive Director, Lauren Spiker:

    Adolescence and young adulthood come with many life changes and transitions for teens and young adults – and for parents! We all hope our children will become independent, responsible adults able to manage the ups and downs of life on their own, but it’s often really hard to let go and watch the process unfold. When cancer enters the picture, everything changes and regardless of their age, taking care of our children becomes priority number one. In truth, I’ve never met a parent who wouldn’t trade places with his or her child in a heartbeat when cancer threatens. That not an option, our natural instinct kicks into high gear and we do everything humanly possible to ease the pain. We just do what parents do – give everything we have to take care of our child.

    But it’s often a lonely road we walk. Well-meaning friends help the best they can and we are grateful but they don’t know what it’s like. How could they? That’s where 13thirty Cancer Connect comes in. Just as we do for our teens and young adults, we offer parents the comfort of peers who understand. Other parents who know how it feels even when we can’t find the words to describe our fears, our hopes, our dreams. Others who know the weight of our shoes and the pain in our hearts. Though it’s a club no parent ever wants to join, new members are always welcome!

    Upcoming Parent Programs

    Our next parent program is Parent Fit on Thursday, June 11th at 6:30 PM. Our Rochester trainer, Brianne will help us get back on track with our workout routines. Come dressed to workout, inside or outside for this one hour Zoom call.

    Look out for our workout programs for both 13thirty AYAs and Parents and stay connected with our site calendar!

  • No Bake Nutrition – AYAs

    no bake nutrition

    Steve teaches us two easy no-bake tutorials for simple protein packed snacks. Buy ingredients beforehand to follow along or just watch & chat.

  • Workout with Michelle – Families

    virtual workout

    Our trainer, Michelle, will lead a half-hour workout to help with our home workout routines. Bring your sibling or parent!

  • Happy Hour – Parents

    parent happy hour

    Grab your drink of choice and enjoy some much needed social time with other Rochester and Syracuse 13thirty parents.

  • careers

    Cancer + Careers

    People around the country are feeling the impact of COVID-19 on their careers. This may mean lay-offs for some and new working conditions for others. For those living with cancer, going back to the workplace or looking for a new job can be scarier than ever before. Many fear job security or a lack of opportunities, but AYAs living with cancer also fear the health risk of going back to the workplace or being able to find a safe job. As a vulnerable population, those living with cancer may experience these crisis-caused challenges and need the help of some career resources.

    Cancer + Careers Resources

    Cancer + Careers helps those living with cancer become empowered in the workplace via online, print, and in-person resources. From the point of diagnosis, Cancer + Careers can help you navigate the legal and financial implications of cancer treatment. They even provide resources for helping coworkers become a support system.

    Cancer + Careers offers resources specific to the COVID-19 crisis such as workshops, webinars and available financial resources. If you’re searching for a new position, look into their tips on interviewing and use their resume review service. While we’re still in quarantine, take some time to view their videos on balancing work and cancer or read some of their free publications on working with cancer.

    Let’s keep our communities safe and continue to follow our local and state guidelines. For those in good health and returning to work, please be mindful of the challenges that AYAs may be facing due to this pandemic and remember to wash hands regularly and social distance to protect one another. Please read the CDC’s guidance for safe practices when returning to the workforce.

  • Mother’s Day Craft – AYAs

    mothers day

    Let’s make our moms a Mother’s Day card together virtually. Use any supplies available and we’ll help with ideas.

  • virtual connections

    Virtual Connections

    Over the past six weeks, 13thirty Cancer Connect has been dedicated to creating virtual connections between both our Rochester and Syracuse AYA members. We know how difficult social distancing is for everyone, especially those who have been in isolation in the past to protect their health. We will continue to try our best at keeping our AYAs in touch and active with virtual programs until social distancing guidelines are updated. Here’s a look back on the month of April’s virtual programs.

    April’s Virtual Programs

    We started out with a check-in “Family Dinner” to see how everyone was doing with making adjustments to the new at-home world. It was a great chance for some of our Rochester and Syracuse members to meet. We tried our first virtual attempt at our group “power clap” tradition and we left room for improvement…

    We caught up with some of our teens with a Family Feud game night with our game show host, Program Director, Steve Esposito. A competitive game between our Rochester and Syracuse teams left the score tight, but Syracuse took the win in the last round!

    Our young adults joined us for a happy hour and game of “guess who” that led to lots of laughs as our members asked twenty questions trying to guess which person or character they were while getting to know each other better.

    virtual connections

    Keeping in mind that gyms are closed, we offered a workout program with our Syracuse trainer, Michelle. Her 13 workouts in 30 minutes was just what we needed!

    Finally, we wrapped up the month with a Netflix Party where we watched The Fundamentals of Caring followed by a Zoom chat to discuss the film that included some special appearances from our members’ pets.

    Hopefully our traditional power clap at the end of programs continues to improve! Check out the May Calendar on both the Rochester and Syracuse program pages. RSVP with Megan or Steve today!

  • Netflix Party – AYAs

    Netflix Party - AYAs

    Attend a viewing party of a Netflix movie on Google Chrome. You can chat and react during the movie and join us for a Zoom meeting afterwards.

  • Workout with Michelle – Families

    Workout with Michelle - Families

    Our personal trainer, Michelle, will lead a half hour workout on Zoom to help us with our home workout routines. Bring your sibling or parent to the video chat!

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