Tie-Dye Night: AYAs (Syracuse)
*Rescheduled from May
Get creative and tie-dye your own 13thirty t-shirt!
Journeys Prep – AYAs
Join local poet, Charlie Cote, and other AYAs as we get ready for another special night in November.
Tie-Dye Night – AYAs
Tie-dye your own 13thirty t-shirt for the first in-person program of 2021 (weather permitting)!
20 Years of Memories
Journeys 2020 marked 13thirty Cancer Connect’s 20th year of making a difference for teens and young adults living with cancer. Journeys is an annual celebration of life where our members and their creativity are featured in a performance that our families and supporters are invited to watch. Though we wish we could have celebrated together in person, this year’s virtual event allowed members living around the country to watch from the comfort of their own homes. The pandemic has challenged us to adapt our programs and events to formats that allow members to safely connect with one another. Our generous sponsors have helped make our continuum of support possible during these uncertain times.
Journeys 2020 included a performance of the Maroon 5 song, “Memories” sang by 13thirty members. This year’s awards went to Doug Spiker for the Make a Difference Award and Jim Blaesi of Blaesi’s Automotive for the Corporate Salute. Watch the song performance or the full event hosted by Corrie Carter from Polite Ink on our YouTube channel:
Special Thanks
We owe a special thank you to Anthony Siciliano of Head to the Roots for opening the event with soothing acoustic music.
If you enjoyed our Sips and Starters packages this year, we can thank Chef’s Catering, Flash Point Customs, Eastway Liquor and Wegmans for their help creating them.
The “Memories” performance was put together by Matt Sengbusch and Jon Madden.
Refocus the Lens – AYAs
Take a photo of something/someone that reminds you of your treatment and share it with other AYAs. Refocus the Lens is a program designed around photographs and your cancer experience.
Refocus the Lens – AYAs
Take a photo of something/someone that reminds you of your diagnosis and share it with other AYAs. Refocus the Lens is a program designed around photographs and your cancer experience.
Message Stick – AYAs
Make a message stick with supplies around the house like: a stick from outside, string, pipe cleaners, spare change, paint, or beads. The list goes on!
13thirty Programs: Wellness, Arts, and of course, Fun!
At 13thirty Cancer Connect, we host a variety of programs for our members and their parents. Offering regular programs helps address the unique challenges that AYA cancer can present. We try and tackle these challenges together through three program categories: wellness, arts, and social.
Wellness
Our wellness programs, focused on both nutrition and fitness, addresses healthier eating and getting back into shape following treatment. Last month we returned to 13thirty Fit! for both our AYAs and their parents. This month, we have a different kind of workout program; we’ll be led through a yoga class on Zoom!
Expressive Arts
Whether we’re painting Bandana Bolt medals, writing poetry, or practicing a performance for Journey’s, at 13thirty the work our AYAs do is incredible! Their compassion shines through as they share their stories with one another through their artwork, poetry, music, and more! This month we made Father’s Day cards to follow last month’s Mother’s Day cards.
Social
Getting to know other teens and young adults who understand the cancer experience is what 13thirty Cancer Connect is all about. Our Zoom game nights and happy hours are becoming hits and we will keep up the laughs and connections next month.
Guests
Wondering who can come to programs at the center and virtually on Zoom? 13thirty Cancer Connect programs are always free and we encourage members to bring a sibling or friend in the 13-30 age range. It may be eye opening to learn about the medical, physical, social, and emotional challenges facing our AYAs. Keep an eye out for our monthly program calendar. You can find it on both the Rochester and Syracuse program pages, as well as on the site calendar with our other events.