yacc 2013 14 annual report

YACC’s got Jamie’s back.“I finished chemo in March and have been put into menopause. I believe myself to be cancer free which is amazing!! I am loving spending my time with my son, Lincoln, and he is growing so fast. He is my silver lining. I am back to work in the office just part time for now but working my hours up and will be full time by March. I have been dealing with a lot lately but I feel stronger every day.”

Jamie Carswell has been a member of the YACC community since 2008 and has filled many roles from event participant, peer facilitator, Big Cancer Hook-up panelist, fundraiser, and face of the annual report.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 24, and faced a relapse in 2013. In the last six years, we have celebrated her health-related victories, cheered as she found her way back to the work force as an RCMP officer, and congratulated her on personal milestones. We know there are many more memories to make.

As usual, Jamie has been kept on her toes since we caught up in the last report, and we thought our regular readers might like to know what’s going on in her life these days.

Message from the Board Chair and Executive DirectorIt has been a whirlwind here at YACC HQ over the last year with new programs added, new people trained to run them, new fundraising initiatives, and did we mention everything was new? Here are some highlights:

• We held two Retreat Yourself programs; • Survivor Conference 2014—our biggest yet—took us back to Toronto with an impressive lineup of keynote speakers

and workshop presenters; • We kept Localife rolling along in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Toronto, and have plans to add more cities next

year;• We launched the YACCtivist program where young adult survivors in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan are

bringing the YACC Cancer Challenge to their communities by sharing their stories with students and schools;• We held our first-ever Big Cancer Hook-up, a national web broadcast where people from all over the country tuned

in to interact with a panel of three survivors at different stages of cancer; • We manage and participate in 24 private Facebook groups where alumni can connect 24/7;• The Shave for the Brave continued to evolve with a modified awards system to recognize the 2013 shavers and more

than 100 Head Hunters who led the events; • We had a strong financial year; and, • Our board of directors renewed our strategic plan, crystallizing our vision for YACC, and the path to realize it.

We continue to break ground on the young adult cancer community, and our innovative team of employees, board members, and supporters will help us blaze new trails. As always, our best is yet to come!

Always…Live life. Love life.

Our Mission: To support young adults as they move through and beyond cancer. To be the connection to peers, bridge out of isolation, and source of inspiration. Any cancer, any stage, YACC’s got your back.

Our Vision: To empower all young adults diagnosed with cancer to live and love life.

Board members

Valerie Pike, ChairBrian VallisMargaret ButtMatthew Follett

Jim Megann Stacey O’DeaFrancis PowerLeslie Galway

Valerie Pike, Geoff Eaton,Chair of the Board of Directors Founder and Executive Director

L-R: Dawn Bishop, Brian Vallis, Val Pike, Geoff Eaton, Margaret Butt.

Young Adult Cancer Canada Annual Report 2013-2014

Retreat Yourself…………………………………………………………………………………………………..……1

Retreat Yourself Adventure…………………………………………………………………………………..………2

Survivor Conference………………………………………………………………………………………………......3

Localife……………………………………………………………….………………….................…..……….…….4

Survivors in Action………………………..……………………………………………………………………….…..5

Online community……………………………………………………………….……………………..……….…….6

Shave for the Brave………………………………………………………………………………………………….7-8

Community support……………………………………………………………………………………………..……9

Partner highlights…………………………………..…………………………………………………………..……10

Financials…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………..11

It has been another incredible year here at YACC with new programs, initiatives, and most importantly, new members of the YACC community! This report has it all.

Table of contents

Financials

We increased revenue in almost all areas this year and reached more young adults affected by cancer in Canada.

11

YOUNG ADULT CANCER CANADA INC.Statement of Operations and Changes in Net Assets for the year ended July 31, 2014

REVENUE Shave for the Brave $788,946 Third party events $124,261 Corporate gifts $157,801 Personal/in memoriam gifts, $85,468 miscellaneous $1,156,476

EXPENDITURES Support $456,178 Awareness and advocacy $197,939 Fund development $274,248 Operations $191,073 $1,119,438

Excess of revenue over expenditures $37,038

*Financial statements have been audited by Deloitte LLP and are available on request by

contacting us at [email protected].

Our partnership with A&W and its former CEO, Jeff Mooney, and his wife, Suzanne Bolton, began in November 1998. Geoff had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia that month for the first time, and he sent his first group email update to friends and family. Geoff started to outline his situation, diagnosis, treatment plan, and his virtual play-off hockey strategy to kick cancer. Jeff heard about Geoff’s situation and email group via Geoff’s step-mom, Irene ,who was involved in the A&W business and he emailed Geoff directly asking to be included in the email group.

How does the CEO of a massive Canadian business develop a deep connection with the kid of a franchisee on the other side of the country? Easily, if you know the kind of lady Irene was, and the kind of people Jeff and Suzanne are.

Suzanne and Jeff have not only seen YACC grow from its infancy, they have been immediate and constant with their support. Their wisdom and financial gifts, including regular attendance at our annual golf tournament, have moved YACC forward and enabled us to transform more lives each year. We are grateful to have them as friends, mentors, and donors.

Partner highlights

High five to some of our other awesome partners:

10

Retreat Yourself

The first Retreat Yourself was held in 2005, and we have connected with hundreds of young adults and their supporters since then. Here’s some of our favourite feedback from the evaluation forms this year:

“Like most people on the retreat, I didn’t know how much I need this until I was here. Thank you so so much!”

“Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s needed for young adults.”

“The talent show was a great way to end the retreat with fun!”

“Connections made. I left not feeling alone; feeling like I belong.”

“So funny!”

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/our-programs/retreat-yourself

Event was held in: • Cobourg, ON

Total participants: • 24

Kathy Stock tried to use every excuse in the book to avoid coming to Retreat Yourself Ontario 2014:

She didn’t have childcare, her husband might not be able to get the time off work, her health card was all the way across the room when she started the application form one night, etc. Geoff didn’t give up on them, though, and after a series of fortunate events, they found themselves in downtown Toronto on their way to Northumberland Heights with the rest of the group. Despite a rocky first night, they had an unimaginable experience, and were kind enough to recap each of their sides of the story for all of us who couldn’t be there.

“Thursday night was hard. Not gonna lie. I wondered if I was in the right place–if I had even earned my right to sit amongst such pillars of bravery and seek help from them in my quest to move onward and upward. Had I a vehicle and a close address, I may have found a reason to creep away.

Thank God I was stuck. The next several days brought about some of the most beautiful I have ever experienced. Since the beginning of my cancer journey 15 months ago, I have never felt as safe to speak my mind and be my real, authentic self as I did in that group. It was so, unbelievably safe, and they got ‘it,’ they ‘got me,’ and I ‘got them.’”

25%

75%

Participant breakdown

Kathy (far left) with some new YACC buddies.

1

Jeff Mooney, second from right, at our 2012 golf tournament.

2

Community support

Third party events got out of control (in the best way) with broken records for events held and dollars raised. Here are some highlights:

There were a few golf tournaments: The annual TD golf tournament in St. John’s raised $34,463; the annual Karalee Golf Classic raised $3,170; and 21-year-old survivor, Robin Mkangwana, raised $11,204 at his tourney in Saskatchewan!

We were able to recruit a new round of dunkees for the 2013 YACC Regatta Day dunk tank and raised $6,125!

YACC Board member, Jim Megann, held a Great Big Feed and Frolic in Halifax and raised $14,652!

Each year, the Texas 4000 riders take a 70-day, 4000 mile bike tour from Texas to Alaska to raise money, and teamed up with YACC for the Canadian leg! They hung out with survivors across the west coast, and donated $10,000 USD!

The second annual Surge for Cancer raised $26,349!

Jon Pike cut off the dreadlocks he had grown for 13 years during Dreadless in September and raised $10,219!

Our YACCers helped out, too. Lynsey Frangakis wanted to do 25 acts of kindness to celebrate her 25th birthday, and one of those resulted in $5,150 being donated to YACC; Robin Harry talked to her University of Toronto Gospel group, and raised $1,200; Michelle Hume’s mother, Katherine, held brunch with her walking club and raised $1,600; and Travis Gobeil designed awesome “cancer sucks” t-shirts and donated the profits to YACC for another $867!

Some Clarenville, NL-based Shavers held a 5k called Power To Hope to raise an additional $1,500 for their totals.

The team behind the Darryl Gorman Memorial Walk ended up holding the 13th and 14th annual events this calendar year when their 2013 event got pushed into our next fiscal year due to a loss in the family. The organizers were delighted to host it in June again this year.

Approximately 100 people walked in Holyrood on a beautiful day and raised over $10,000—the biggest annual total raised to date!

“The huge numbers that we are seeing in the donations this year are just mind blowing so much generosity for a great cause,” said organizer Krista Gorman.

Regular organizer Bridget Hynes says her favourite part of the walk is seeing Darryl’s friends with their children, and it’s a good marker at how quickly life passes by, but both women agree the best part of the event is how it continues to bring people together.

“It is hard to choose a favorite moment the whole walk is such a great event. It was nice that both families worked together on the planning this year it made lighter work for all. To see everyone pull together year after year to remember Darryl is wonderful, and makes the entire event memorable,” said Gorman.

Since it began, the walk has raised over $65,000 to support young adults affected by cancer in Canada.

9

Retreat Yourself Adventure

After last year’s voyage to Newfoundland’s west coast, we kept things a little closer to home this year to show 17 YACCers why we’ve planted our flag on the Northeast Avalon.

We hiked the famed and rugged East Coast Trail along the North Atlantic before going sea kayaking in it with Stan Cook’s team. We ate at the famous Lighthouse Picnic in Ferryland. We zip lined through Petty Harbour. We got to meet some of the local network and tell our stories at a Rocket Room banquet. We made it to Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America, though we took the long way through the trails, and we capped off as many nights as possible with fires on Topsail Beach as the sun set.

Truly a trip of a lifetime.

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/our-programs/retreat-yourself-adventure

Here’s some of the feedback:

“Incredible experience. I feel so lucky and privileged to get to be in this beautiful place with such incredible people - Having the adventure of my life.“

“The weekend lifted my spirits and is a new beginning in so many ways. Truly grateful. Taking some lovely memories and an action plan.“

“Amazing weekend. Loved it. Amazing place. Thank you so much for planning this wonderful weekend and for making me feel like I am still a part of something amazing. I will remember this weekend forever. “

“Wonderful time with wonderful people. Wish we could all stay.”

Event was held in: • St. John’s, NL


24 %

76 %


3

Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) and the Shave for the Brave hit a major milestone this year when we shaved the 10,000th Shaver! The honour went to Tyler Hayley, a second grader at Cowan Heights Elementary, who Shaved his glossy curls for his fourth time.

Tyler started Shaving when he was in KinderStart after seeing his neighbours all shave their heads together in support of their father who was dealing with cancer. His dedication to the cause has only grown; the Shave is the only haircut he gets each year, and recently spent hours going door to door collecting donations.

Tyler was presented with a unique yellow Shave for the Brave toque which reads “10,000th Shaver” on the back. Thanks to everyone who has gone before him to help us hit this milestone!

There are some familiar faces, some new faces, and some upsets in the top fundraising individuals, offices, and schools this year, and we love to watch the shake-ups! Regardless of leaderboard standing, we continue to be honoured and thrilled that so many people give their time, money, and hair to support our largest fundraiser. Everything else you see in this report was made possible by your dedication, and we hope to see you again next year!

Top fundraising individuals in Canada

Christian Legge has now shaved a total of eight times, and also earned this title in 2012 and 2013! This year, he added $20,287 to his running total. Special thanks to Chris and

Elizabeth Tucker for supporting Christian’s Shave through a Pennecon Limited event that raised over $10,000!

2nd Place: Frankie Reichert with $10,632

3rd Place: Lucas Coffey with $8,609

Top fundraising offices in Canada

Whitbourne Foodland Combined Shaves Head Hunter Ivey Newhook wasn’t deterred by her rookie head hunting status; she took the razor on the road and Shaved in multiple locations

around Whitbourne and raised $15,767!

2nd Place: Fortis Properties - St. John’s Real Estate with $9,414

3rd Place: Cornerstone Square Veterinary Hospital with $7,435

Top fundraising schools in Canada

All the hard work by Roncalli Elementary’s 69 Shavers paid off as they moved to the top after achieving 2nd place honours in 2013! High five to Lori Murray and her team for organizing the incredible Shave and raising $28,730!

2nd Place: MacDonald Drive Junior High with $23,415

3rd Place: Clarenville High School with $22,192

We crowned our 10,000th Shaver!

8

Survivor Conference

This year, we welcomed social media in the program, from live-blogging keynotes and presentations, to answering daily questions, to giving digital high fives to some of our most dedicated supporters. Here are some highlights:

“How is #SC14Ignite going so far? A social cmte member lovingly told us we’ve socialized enough & should really go to bed to ready for Day3 :)” - @VMichele25

“Town hall: Everyone is united. Survivors voiced concerns/made suggestions. YACC had open ears and responded with explanations. #SC14Ignite” - @aimeehorbul

“#SC14Ignite I want to fill the hole in services that exists for the ya met/chronic community. I want our voices to be heard. #legacy” - @annamecraig

“Early to bed, early to rise... nope. Super late to bed, early to rise. But still ready to attack the day. #SC14Ignite”

- @iamchrischow

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/our-programs/survivor-conference

Event was held in: • Toronto, ON



17 %

83 %

The Survivor Conference headed back to the Radisson Admiral on Toronto’s Harbourfront this year from June 5-9, and although we were in the same place, this event showed massive program growth and the warmer weather did wonders for the morale (even if the Queen’s Quay construction tried to keep us down)!

We had keynote addresses from Dr. Janine Giese-Davis on cancer and survivorship (which blew us away!), A Fresh Chapter Alliance’s Terri Wingham on following your dreams, and Dr. Rob Rutledge on understanding how the brain works to understand your life. We also offered more great workshops, and expanded our panel offering this year to have one on relationships hosted by Dr. Anne Katz; a YACC “town hall”; and one on legacy, hosted by our own supreme commander.

We walked 7k for the 7,000 young adults who will be diagnosed this year and those who couldn’t be there with us, and shook it all out with another late-night dance party at The Ballroom!

We couldn’t wrap up this recap without high-fiving Dave Weiler and Cynthia Radford for their continued support that literally makes the Survivor Conference possible.

4

Shave for the Brave

The Shave for the Brave supports Young Adult Cancer Canada in its efforts to provide support to young adults affected by cancer. We couldn’t have their backs if you didn’t have ours. Thank you for all your support! This year, the St. John’s Avalon Mall Shave continued to be our largest event with 209 heads Shaved, including Lucas Coffey’s in memory of his mother who passed away from leukemia in 2011; we launched a new partnership with Hockey NL, which really kicked off when Minor Hockey Chair Arnold Kelly shaved his head at the Minor Hockey Week opening ceremonies; and Atlantic Canada’s credit unions answered the call of the pride in a big way with over $25,000 raised!

• We Shaved 2,013 heads this year from St. John’s, NL to Tulameen, BC, and raised $788,946 at 107 events!

• We surpassed 10,000 Shavers, and are already working on hitting the 20,000 mark!• • We proudly introduced an entirely new recognition system to thank our fearless Shavers and committed

Head Hunters. We presented passionate schools and hockey associations with thank you banners and offices with appreciation plaques.

• Shavers included firefighters; Commanding Officers; board members; bank managers; students, teachers,

and principals; hockey players and referees; cancer survivors and supporters; and members of the YACC community.

Learn more at: shaveforthebrave.ca

“It was a very touching event and I am proud that I could be part of it. I’m very proud of my two boys for making the decision to do this, and I’m proud of my nephew and the five other people who participated.”

- Peggy White, Head Hunter,

Hockey NL, Bonavista

7

LocalifeWe have been hiding Localife in our annual report under the title “Survivors In Action,” but now with four thriving cities, one brand-new crew, and a new location on the horizon, it’s time to give this healthy program a place of its own! Here’s what we did this year:

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/our-programs/localife/

Calgary (Leaders: Colin Anderson, Michelle Hume, Kevin Yorston)

Localife Calgary saw a lot of action this year—both with events, and with a little leader turnover. Life happens, and Colin made the gruelling decision to step down from his position. We have a feeling that’s not the last we’ll see of Colin, and in the meantime, Kevin, his successor, seems to be fitting right in!

Edmonton (Leaders: Annemarie McCrie, Dan Nielsen, Ashley Rose)

What’s that you hear? Another shake-up? After a couple of years working with Dan on events in Edmonton, Ashley also decided it was time to leave Localife. Annemarie McCrie came in to fill the gap. We expect lots of Fringe Fests and all-day hangouts to commence shortly!

Ottawa (Leaders: Chris Chow, Meghan Dutton, Brandon Fong)

Last one, we promise! Brandon also decided it was time for new challenges, but that means we were able to bring on Meghan, an awesome rec-professional who will undoubtedly work to take Localife Ottawa to the next level, which we can’t even imagine, because it’s already awesome.

Toronto (Leaders: Peter Laneas, Bonnie Lum)

Bonnie and Peter kept things copacetic in Toronto this year with a gigantic group, a wide, wild assortment of activities (Painting? Skating? Karaoke? Cooking? They do it all!), This hyper-organized team is bound to bring a bundle of new memories to the growing network in Canada’s largest city!

28 events were held in: • Calgary, AB • Edmonton, AB • Ottawa, ON •Toronto, ON •Vancouver, BC



26 %

74 %

Vancouver (Leaders: Lisa Couture, Bernadette Leno)

Bernadette and Lisa may be brand new Localife leaders, but they’re familiar faces around here! They have been to a few YACC events between them, and their friendly enthusiasm is sure to help us grow on the west coast. They couldn’t be further away, but we know they’re great ambassadors, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Partners

Highlights

5

Online community

Our web traffic jumped up a little this year with 136,404 visits to the redesigned youngadultcancer.ca. Our new site aims to make it easier for survivors, supporters, and health professionals to find the information they need. We’d love your feedback!

There are currently 157 survivor profiles and 14 supporter profiles on the YACC website. This section of our website historically contains the most visited, most read, and most loved zeroes and ones. We’re always looking for new content, so hit up [email protected] if you want to leave your mark on our webspace! Social networking has enabled the YACC community to grow and stay connected between events and across the country in an effortless, immediate way. People connect (and reconnect) online to ask questions about issues they are facing, share photos from events, and arrange impromptu gatherings and meet-ups whenever they find an opportunity. We run the public YACC and Shave for the Brave pages, with 24 other private groups where event alumni and the national YACC community can connect 24/7. We’ve added Instagram and are growing our presence on YouTube. We are working hard to be where young adults are on the web.

It’s 2014, so one of the best ways to connect with young adults between the ages of 15-39 is through the Internet. We’ve set some higher goals when it comes to followers, fans, likes, whatever you want to call ‘em—it all means a more engaged community to us. Here’s where you can find us these days:

6

Survivors In Action

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/bigcancerhookupand youngadultcancer.ca/yacctivists

7 events were held in: •Calgary, AB •Edmonton, AB •Montreal, QC •Ottawa, ON •Surrey, BC •Toronto, ON •Winnipeg, MB

Total participants: •164


23 %

77 %

The Big Cancer Hook-up

The Big Cancer Hook-up was a national web broadcast that let young adult cancer survivors and supporters to get together in their local communities or from the comfort of their own homes to connect, reconnect, and be inspired.

Our first Big Cancer Hook-up featured a panel discussion by Jamie Carswell, Peter Laneas, and Lynsey Frangakis, three survivors at various stages of the cancer experience, in front of a live audience in Toronto, ON on November 30, 2013.

The event was attended by 164 people at in-person events and as solo participants. Viewers connected to comment and ask questions through a Facebook group that was moderated by Gerry Lewis. Afterward, groups headed to a nearby pub, restaurant, or coffee shop of their choice to hang out.

P.S. High five to Scotiabank for helping us coordinate the Toronto event!

YACCtivists

The YACCtivist program kicked off with training in St. John’s in November. Becky MacLean from Nova Scotia, Gerrad Downs from Ontario, and Heather Bonynge from Saskatchewan spent a few days at YACC HQ to learn about public speaking, crafting their story, and the goals we had for the program.

The YACCtivists have been going out into their communities to talk about what it means to be a young adult with cancer, and to unleash the YACC Cancer Challenge–a program for high schools geared toward communicating a message of hope, inspiration, and the power to overcome challenges in life.

Heather had this to say after her first presentation:

“Since sharing my story with the students, I have again found myself on a yet another path of discovery. I felt like going into this first presentation I had my journey all figured out. I’ve lived it, I’ve learned from it, and now I was sharing it. It surprised me to realize this is really only the beginning. I am only just starting to learn my voice and find my direction, and at this point there are so many possibilities of where being a YACCtivist may take me.”

4

Shave for the Brave

The Shave for the Brave supports Young Adult Cancer Canada in its efforts to provide support to young adults affected by cancer. We couldn’t have their backs if you didn’t have ours. Thank you for all your support! This year, the St. John’s Avalon Mall Shave continued to be our largest event with 209 heads Shaved, including Lucas Coffey’s in memory of his mother who passed away from leukemia in 2011; we launched a new partnership with Hockey NL, which really kicked off when Minor Hockey Chair Arnold Kelly shaved his head at the Minor Hockey Week opening ceremonies; and Atlantic Canada’s credit unions answered the call of the pride in a big way with over $25,000 raised!

• We Shaved 2,013 heads this year from St. John’s, NL to Tulameen, BC, and raised $788,946 at 107 events!

• We surpassed 10,000 Shavers, and are already working on hitting the 20,000 mark!• • We proudly introduced an entirely new recognition system to thank our fearless Shavers and committed

Head Hunters. We presented passionate schools and hockey associations with thank you banners and offices with appreciation plaques.

• Shavers included firefighters; Commanding Officers; board members; bank managers; students, teachers,

and principals; hockey players and referees; cancer survivors and supporters; and members of the YACC community.

Learn more at: shaveforthebrave.ca

“It was a very touching event and I am proud that I could be part of it. I’m very proud of my two boys for making the decision to do this, and I’m proud of my nephew and the five other people who participated.”

- Peggy White, Head Hunter,

Hockey NL, Bonavista

7

LocalifeWe have been hiding Localife in our annual report under the title “Survivors In Action,” but now with four thriving cities, one brand-new crew, and a new location on the horizon, it’s time to give this healthy program a place of its own! Here’s what we did this year:

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/our-programs/localife/

Calgary (Leaders: Colin Anderson, Michelle Hume, Kevin Yorston)

Localife Calgary saw a lot of action this year—both with events, and with a little leader turnover. Life happens, and Colin made the gruelling decision to step down from his position. We have a feeling that’s not the last we’ll see of Colin, and in the meantime, Kevin, his successor, seems to be fitting right in!

Edmonton (Leaders: Annemarie McCrie, Dan Nielsen, Ashley Rose)

What’s that you hear? Another shake-up? After a couple of years working with Dan on events in Edmonton, Ashley also decided it was time to leave Localife. Annemarie McCrie came in to fill the gap. We expect lots of Fringe Fests and all-day hangouts to commence shortly!

Ottawa (Leaders: Chris Chow, Meghan Dutton, Brandon Fong)

Last one, we promise! Brandon also decided it was time for new challenges, but that means we were able to bring on Meghan, an awesome rec-professional who will undoubtedly work to take Localife Ottawa to the next level, which we can’t even imagine, because it’s already awesome.

Toronto (Leaders: Peter Laneas, Bonnie Lum)

Bonnie and Peter kept things copacetic in Toronto this year with a gigantic group, a wide, wild assortment of activities (Painting? Skating? Karaoke? Cooking? They do it all!), This hyper-organized team is bound to bring a bundle of new memories to the growing network in Canada’s largest city!

28 events were held in: • Calgary, AB • Edmonton, AB • Ottawa, ON •Toronto, ON •Vancouver, BC



26 %

74 %

Vancouver (Leaders: Lisa Couture, Bernadette Leno)

Bernadette and Lisa may be brand new Localife leaders, but they’re familiar faces around here! They have been to a few YACC events between them, and their friendly enthusiasm is sure to help us grow on the west coast. They couldn’t be further away, but we know they’re great ambassadors, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Partners

Highlights

3

Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) and the Shave for the Brave hit a major milestone this year when we shaved the 10,000th Shaver! The honour went to Tyler Hayley, a second grader at Cowan Heights Elementary, who Shaved his glossy curls for his fourth time.

Tyler started Shaving when he was in KinderStart after seeing his neighbours all shave their heads together in support of their father who was dealing with cancer. His dedication to the cause has only grown; the Shave is the only haircut he gets each year, and recently spent hours going door to door collecting donations.

Tyler was presented with a unique yellow Shave for the Brave toque which reads “10,000th Shaver” on the back. Thanks to everyone who has gone before him to help us hit this milestone!

There are some familiar faces, some new faces, and some upsets in the top fundraising individuals, offices, and schools this year, and we love to watch the shake-ups! Regardless of leaderboard standing, we continue to be honoured and thrilled that so many people give their time, money, and hair to support our largest fundraiser. Everything else you see in this report was made possible by your dedication, and we hope to see you again next year!

Top fundraising individuals in Canada

Christian Legge has now shaved a total of eight times, and also earned this title in 2012 and 2013! This year, he added $20,287 to his running total. Special thanks to Chris and

Elizabeth Tucker for supporting Christian’s Shave through a Pennecon Limited event that raised over $10,000!

2nd Place: Frankie Reichert with $10,632

3rd Place: Lucas Coffey with $8,609

Top fundraising offices in Canada

Whitbourne Foodland Combined Shaves Head Hunter Ivey Newhook wasn’t deterred by her rookie head hunting status; she took the razor on the road and Shaved in multiple locations

around Whitbourne and raised $15,767!

2nd Place: Fortis Properties - St. John’s Real Estate with $9,414

3rd Place: Cornerstone Square Veterinary Hospital with $7,435

Top fundraising schools in Canada

All the hard work by Roncalli Elementary’s 69 Shavers paid off as they moved to the top after achieving 2nd place honours in 2013! High five to Lori Murray and her team for organizing the incredible Shave and raising $28,730!

2nd Place: MacDonald Drive Junior High with $23,415

3rd Place: Clarenville High School with $22,192

We crowned our 10,000th Shaver!

8

Survivor Conference

This year, we welcomed social media in the program, from live-blogging keynotes and presentations, to answering daily questions, to giving digital high fives to some of our most dedicated supporters. Here are some highlights:

“How is #SC14Ignite going so far? A social cmte member lovingly told us we’ve socialized enough & should really go to bed to ready for Day3 :)” - @VMichele25

“Town hall: Everyone is united. Survivors voiced concerns/made suggestions. YACC had open ears and responded with explanations. #SC14Ignite” - @aimeehorbul

“#SC14Ignite I want to fill the hole in services that exists for the ya met/chronic community. I want our voices to be heard. #legacy” - @annamecraig

“Early to bed, early to rise... nope. Super late to bed, early to rise. But still ready to attack the day. #SC14Ignite”

- @iamchrischow

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/our-programs/survivor-conference

Event was held in: • Toronto, ON



17 %

83 %

The Survivor Conference headed back to the Radisson Admiral on Toronto’s Harbourfront this year from June 5-9, and although we were in the same place, this event showed massive program growth and the warmer weather did wonders for the morale (even if the Queen’s Quay construction tried to keep us down)!

We had keynote addresses from Dr. Janine Giese-Davis on cancer and survivorship (which blew us away!), A Fresh Chapter Alliance’s Terri Wingham on following your dreams, and Dr. Rob Rutledge on understanding how the brain works to understand your life. We also offered more great workshops, and expanded our panel offering this year to have one on relationships hosted by Dr. Anne Katz; a YACC “town hall”; and one on legacy, hosted by our own supreme commander.

We walked 7k for the 7,000 young adults who will be diagnosed this year and those who couldn’t be there with us, and shook it all out with another late-night dance party at The Ballroom!

We couldn’t wrap up this recap without high-fiving Dave Weiler and Cynthia Radford for their continued support that literally makes the Survivor Conference possible.

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Community support

Third party events got out of control (in the best way) with broken records for events held and dollars raised. Here are some highlights:

There were a few golf tournaments: The annual TD golf tournament in St. John’s raised $34,463; the annual Karalee Golf Classic raised $3,170; and 21-year-old survivor, Robin Mkangwana, raised $11,204 at his tourney in Saskatchewan!

We were able to recruit a new round of dunkees for the 2013 YACC Regatta Day dunk tank and raised $6,125!

YACC Board member, Jim Megann, held a Great Big Feed and Frolic in Halifax and raised $14,652!

Each year, the Texas 4000 riders take a 70-day, 4000 mile bike tour from Texas to Alaska to raise money, and teamed up with YACC for the Canadian leg! They hung out with survivors across the west coast, and donated $10,000 USD!

The second annual Surge for Cancer raised $26,349!

Jon Pike cut off the dreadlocks he had grown for 13 years during Dreadless in September and raised $10,219!

Our YACCers helped out, too. Lynsey Frangakis wanted to do 25 acts of kindness to celebrate her 25th birthday, and one of those resulted in $5,150 being donated to YACC; Robin Harry talked to her University of Toronto Gospel group, and raised $1,200; Michelle Hume’s mother, Katherine, held brunch with her walking club and raised $1,600; and Travis Gobeil designed awesome “cancer sucks” t-shirts and donated the profits to YACC for another $867!

Some Clarenville, NL-based Shavers held a 5k called Power To Hope to raise an additional $1,500 for their totals.

The team behind the Darryl Gorman Memorial Walk ended up holding the 13th and 14th annual events this calendar year when their 2013 event got pushed into our next fiscal year due to a loss in the family. The organizers were delighted to host it in June again this year.

Approximately 100 people walked in Holyrood on a beautiful day and raised over $10,000—the biggest annual total raised to date!

“The huge numbers that we are seeing in the donations this year are just mind blowing so much generosity for a great cause,” said organizer Krista Gorman.

Regular organizer Bridget Hynes says her favourite part of the walk is seeing Darryl’s friends with their children, and it’s a good marker at how quickly life passes by, but both women agree the best part of the event is how it continues to bring people together.

“It is hard to choose a favorite moment the whole walk is such a great event. It was nice that both families worked together on the planning this year it made lighter work for all. To see everyone pull together year after year to remember Darryl is wonderful, and makes the entire event memorable,” said Gorman.

Since it began, the walk has raised over $65,000 to support young adults affected by cancer in Canada.

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Retreat Yourself Adventure

After last year’s voyage to Newfoundland’s west coast, we kept things a little closer to home this year to show 17 YACCers why we’ve planted our flag on the Northeast Avalon.

We hiked the famed and rugged East Coast Trail along the North Atlantic before going sea kayaking in it with Stan Cook’s team. We ate at the famous Lighthouse Picnic in Ferryland. We zip lined through Petty Harbour. We got to meet some of the local network and tell our stories at a Rocket Room banquet. We made it to Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America, though we took the long way through the trails, and we capped off as many nights as possible with fires on Topsail Beach as the sun set.

Truly a trip of a lifetime.

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/our-programs/retreat-yourself-adventure

Here’s some of the feedback:

“Incredible experience. I feel so lucky and privileged to get to be in this beautiful place with such incredible people - Having the adventure of my life.“

“The weekend lifted my spirits and is a new beginning in so many ways. Truly grateful. Taking some lovely memories and an action plan.“

“Amazing weekend. Loved it. Amazing place. Thank you so much for planning this wonderful weekend and for making me feel like I am still a part of something amazing. I will remember this weekend forever. “

“Wonderful time with wonderful people. Wish we could all stay.”

Event was held in: • St. John’s, NL


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Our partnership with A&W and its former CEO, Jeff Mooney, and his wife, Suzanne Bolton, began in November 1998. Geoff had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia that month for the fi rst time, and he sent his fi rst group email update to friends and family. Geoff started to outline his situation, diagnosis, treatment plan, and his virtual play-off hockey strategy to kick cancer. Jeff heard about Geoff’s situation and email group via Geoff’s step-mom, Irene ,who was involved in the A&W business and he emailed Geoff directly asking to be included in the email group.

How does the CEO of a massive Canadian business develop a deep connection with the kid of a franchisee on the other side of the country? Easily, if you know the kind of lady Irene was, and the kind of people Jeff and Suzanne are.

Suzanne and Jeff have not only seen YACC grow from its infancy, they have been immediate and constant with their support. Their wisdom and fi nancial gifts, including regular attendance at our annual golf tournament, have moved YACC forward and enabled us to transform more lives each year. We are grateful to have them as friends, mentors, and donors.

Partner highlights

High fi ve to some of our other awesome partners:

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Retreat Yourself

The fi rst Retreat Yourself was held in 2005, and we have connected with hundreds of young adults and their supporters since then. Here’s some of our favourite feedback from the evaluation forms this year:

“Like most people on the retreat, I didn’t know how much I need this until I was here. Thank you so so much!”

“Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s needed for young adults.”

“The talent show was a great way to end the retreat with fun!”

“Connections made. I left not feeling alone; feeling like I belong.”

“So funny!”

Learn more at: youngadultcancer.ca/our-programs/retreat-yourself

Event was held in: • Cobourg, ON


Kathy Stock tried to use every excuse in the book to avoid coming to Retreat Yourself Ontario 2014:

She didn’t have childcare, her husband might not be able to get the time off work, her health card was all the way across the room when she started the application form one night, etc. Geoff didn’t give up on them, though, and after a series of fortunate events, they found themselves in downtown Toronto on their way to Northumberland Heights with the rest of the group. Despite a rocky fi rst night, they had an unimaginable experience, and were kind enough to recap each of their sides of the story for all of us who couldn’t be there.

“Thursday night was hard. Not gonna lie. I wondered if I was in the right place–if I had even earned my right to sit amongst such pillars of bravery and seek help from them in my quest to move onward and upward. Had I a vehicle and a close address, I may have found a reason to creep away.

Thank God I was stuck. The next several days brought about some of the most beautiful I have ever experienced. Since the beginning of my cancer journey 15 months ago, I have never felt as safe to speak my mind and be my real, authentic self as I did in that group. It was so, unbelievably safe, and they got ‘it,’ they ‘got me,’ and I ‘got them.’”

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Kathy (far left) with some new YACC buddies.

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Jeff Mooney, second from right, at our 2012 golf tournament.

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Young Adult Cancer Canada Annual Report 2013-2014

Retreat Yourself…………………………………………………………………………………………………..……1

Retreat Yourself Adventure…………………………………………………………………………………..………2

Survivor Conference………………………………………………………………………………………………......3

Localife……………………………………………………………….………………….................…..……….…….4

Survivors in Action………………………..……………………………………………………………………….…..5

Online community……………………………………………………………….……………………..……….…….6

Shave for the Brave………………………………………………………………………………………………….7-8

Community support……………………………………………………………………………………………..……9

Partner highlights…………………………………..…………………………………………………………..……10

Financials…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………..11

It has been another incredible year here at YACC with new programs, initiatives, and most importantly, new members of the YACC community! This report has it all.

Table of contents

Financials

We increased revenue in almost all areas this year and reached more young adults affected by cancer in Canada.

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YOUNG ADULT CANCER CANADA INC.Statement of Operations and Changes in Net Assets for the year ended July 31, 2014

REVENUE Shave for the Brave $788,946 Third party events $124,261 Corporate gifts $157,801 Personal/in memoriam gifts, $85,468 miscellaneous $1,156,476

EXPENDITURES Support $456,178 Awareness and advocacy $197,939 Fund development $274,248 Operations $191,073 $1,119,438

Excess of revenue over expenditures $37,038

*Financial statements have been audited by Deloitte LLP and are available on request by

contacting us at [email protected].

YACC’s got Jamie’s back.“I finished chemo in March and have been put into menopause. I believe myself to be cancer free which is amazing!! I am loving spending my time with my son, Lincoln, and he is growing so fast. He is my silver lining. I am back to work in the office just part time for now but working my hours up and will be full time by March. I have been dealing with a lot lately but I feel stronger every day.”

Jamie Carswell has been a member of the YACC community since 2008 and has filled many roles from event participant, peer facilitator, Big Cancer Hook-up panelist, fundraiser, and face of the annual report.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 24, and faced a relapse in 2013. In the last six years, we have celebrated her health-related victories, cheered as she found her way back to the work force as an RCMP officer, and congratulated her on personal milestones. We know there are many more memories to make.

As usual, Jamie has been kept on her toes since we caught up in the last report, and we thought our regular readers might like to know what’s going on in her life these days.

Message from the Board Chair and Executive DirectorIt has been a whirlwind here at YACC HQ over the last year with new programs added, new people trained to run them, new fundraising initiatives, and did we mention everything was new? Here are some highlights:

• We held two Retreat Yourself programs; • Survivor Conference 2014—our biggest yet—took us back to Toronto with an impressive lineup of keynote speakers

and workshop presenters; • We kept Localife rolling along in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Toronto, and have plans to add more cities next

year;• We launched the YACCtivist program where young adult survivors in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan are

bringing the YACC Cancer Challenge to their communities by sharing their stories with students and schools;• We held our first-ever Big Cancer Hook-up, a national web broadcast where people from all over the country tuned

in to interact with a panel of three survivors at different stages of cancer; • We manage and participate in 24 private Facebook groups where alumni can connect 24/7;• The Shave for the Brave continued to evolve with a modified awards system to recognize the 2013 shavers and more

than 100 Head Hunters who led the events; • We had a strong financial year; and, • Our board of directors renewed our strategic plan, crystallizing our vision for YACC, and the path to realize it.

We continue to break ground on the young adult cancer community, and our innovative team of employees, board members, and supporters will help us blaze new trails. As always, our best is yet to come!

Always…Live life. Love life.

Our Mission: To support young adults as they move through and beyond cancer. To be the connection to peers, bridge out of isolation, and source of inspiration. Any cancer, any stage, YACC’s got your back.

Our Vision: To empower all young adults diagnosed with cancer to live and love life.

Board members

Valerie Pike, ChairBrian VallisMargaret ButtMatthew Follett

Jim Megann Stacey O’DeaFrancis PowerLeslie Galway

Valerie Pike, Geoff Eaton,Chair of the Board of Directors Founder and Executive Director

L-R: Dawn Bishop, Brian Vallis, Val Pike, Geoff Eaton, Margaret Butt.

yacc 2013 14 annual report

Documents