COVID-19 ~ Community Response

Dear AYA Community:

I want to thank you again for your patience as we continue to weigh our options and provide you with the valuable experiences and information you expect from us following the postponement of our annual CancerCon event next month amidst the fallout from the COVID-19 global pandemic.

We take our responsibility to protect and support our community very seriously and have been mindful of this as we work to identify the best way forward during this difficult and unprecedented public health crisis. To date, we have not yet come to a decision on our go forward options around CancerCon. We may go virtual, we may not.

In the spirit of full transparency, please know that we are in active negotiations with Hyatt management to determine the best way forward together — including a direct plea from us, especially as a non-profit, for Hyatt management to treat this situation with understanding and flexibility regarding our financial obligations around the event. We remain hopeful.

This challenging situation is necessitating a temporary change to how we offer our support to the community, but it will not deter us from the pursuit of our mission. Please monitor our website and follow us on social media to stay informed, and source additional information and updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) from the CDC and WHO. Check out our webinar about COVID-19 and the implications for the AYA community, with extensive Q&A, here.

During this difficult time, we encourage you to stay connected with your community. We know how important it is for you see a friendly face, but we are encouraging regularly scheduled In-Person Meetups to go digital out of an abundance of caution. Reach out and we’ll help you set it up! We currently host Digital Meetups every Monday night and are adding more opportunities throughout the day on a variety of topics. Connect with other AYAs from across the country from the comfort of your couch!

Our community is tough and our resolve steadfast and unbreakable. Thank you again for your understanding, patience, and resilience, both over the last few weeks and in the weeks to come. I appreciate each and every person’s efforts as we work together to stay connected in this new normal.

Please feel free to reach out to me at asilberman@stupidcancer.org if you have questions.

Best Regards,

Alison Silberman, CEO