A Year of Care and Connection: Highlights from 2025
All year long, CancerCare has been here for those navigating the challenges of a cancer diagnosis, offering compassion and support. As we look back, here are a few meaningful highlights from 2025.
After 25 years at our office in Chelsea, Manhattan, our national office returned to its original neighborhood in Midtown, Manhattan. The new office, located at 485 Madison Avenue, is well served by public transportation and offers a welcoming space for clients to participate in CancerCare's face-to-face services with our oncology social workers.
This year, we also published the updated 2025 edition of our Online Helping Hand guide. This guide includes information on organizations that offer practical and financial support throughout the United States. Stay tuned for the 2026 edition, which will be published in the new year.
Our National Gala in New York City raised over $1 million, and our Festival of Hope Gala in New Jersey raised over $140,000. Proceeds from both galas go towards all our free national programs and services.
We celebrated our 40-year partnership with The New York Community Trust, which has supported low-income New York City families affected by cancer through CancerCare since 1985.
As part of our advocacy efforts, we released our Red Tape Report, based on a first-of-its-kind national survey, that exposed how prior authorization requirements and coverage stoppages create serious barriers to life-saving cancer care.
In June, families who lost a loved one to cancer met at our 16th annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp in Mount Pocono, PA. While participating in fun and therapeutic activities, including crafts, horseback riding, fishing and support groups, adults and children had the chance to connect with others navigating grief.
Over the summer, we participated in the “Two Words” clinical trial awareness campaign event, held at Grand Central in New York City. The event brought together patient advocates and featured a special guest appearance by actor and long-time cancer advocate Rob Lowe.
Speaking of clinical trials, we also continued to enhance our free clinical trial resource, myTRIAList, to help make trials easier to find and accessible to patients.
We continued our partnerships with local hospitals in New Jersey and Long Island through our free wig clinics. These special events bring our services directly to patients where they're already receiving care. This makes it easier and more comfortable for them to try on and receive a free wig in a safe, supportive environment, with no extra travel or appointments required.
Our in-person and virtual community programs in New York City, New Jersey and Long Island gave people with cancer, post-treatment survivors, caregivers and the bereaved the opportunity to connect. A few highlights were skin care workshops co-hosted with Christine Valmy, young adult writing workshops, older adult book clubs, paint and sip nights, a potluck picnic in Central Park and pumpkin carving events.
Cancer Out Loud, CancerCare's podcast, marked five years since launching in March 2020, with 75 episodes released and available to stream, wherever you get your podcast.
The CancerCare Young Professionals Committee’s Scholarship Program re-opened for young adults who have lost a parent to cancer and awarded scholarships to seven students. Since 2020, the YPC has awarded 30 college scholarships totaling $75,000, empowering young people to pursue their academic and personal goals.
Before the start of the school year, we celebrated 10 years of making the back-to-school season brighter for families affected by cancer. In August, 120 children and teens received backpacks and school supplies as part of the program.
In November, the Long Island community joined us for our annual 5K Walk for Hope in Woodbury, NY, to honor their loved ones. Thanks to the community's incredible turnout, over $80,000 was raised to support our services.
CancerCare serves thousands of clients across the country each year thanks to the generosity of our supporters. We are grateful each day for the impact we have on those coping with a cancer diagnosis. If you would like to support our free programs and services, please consider making a donation to CancerCare.