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CancerCare was honored to be the recipient of The Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) Association of New York’s 2015 Holiday Party & Toy Drive. The PBK members and their guests were very generous in donating funds and gifts for children and teens affected by cancer.

As 2016 draws near, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on all we’ve accomplished in the past year. Here’s a look back at just a few of the highlights from 2015.

Of course, the truest highlights have been the exchanges between our social workers and clients, the bonds formed between members of our support groups and the words of thanks we receive from those who feel they have been helped. All of us at CancerCare look forward to continuing to provide help and hope to anyone affected by cancer, and working to ensure that no one has to face cancer alone.

To celebrate National Family Caregivers Month, we invited the CancerCare community to share photos of a pet who helped them cope with cancer. We’re delighted to announce our contest winners, as determined by you! Congratulations to our top three Critter Caregivers: Kobe, Hero and Bandit! Read on to hear their stories.

On October 27th, 19 parents and children gathered in costume at CancerCare’s national office for “What’s Behind the Mask?,” a free Halloween event. The evening provided a fun time for kids, and also served as an opportunity for self-expression and bonding with others in similar situations.

From July 16-18, CancerCare will be at BlogHer 2015, the world’s largest conference for women content creators, doing what we do best: encouraging others to talk about cancer. To learn more, visit us at Booth 2004, or join us tomorrow at 1:30 pm for a Twitterstorm, where CancerCare and our partners will be tweeting information about Pillow Talk and the importance of starting conversations about cancer: follow #CancerTalk.

On the first weekend of June, CancerCare hosted the seventh annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp, a free retreat for families with children coping with the loss of a loved one to cancer. In the second part of our blog post about the camp, the families take advantage of the many activities offered by the Malibu Dude Ranch, including horseback riding, fishing, archery and paddleboating.

The families also participated in a memorial candle lighting service, saw a rodeo show and attended a resilience panel, featuring talks by CancerCare clients who experienced the loss of a parent, a spouse or a child, and found ways to cope over time.

On the first weekend of June, CancerCare hosted the seventh annual Healing Hearts Family Bereavement Camp, a free retreat for families with children coping with the loss of a loved one to cancer. 31 families spent the weekend at Malibu Dude Ranch in Milford, PA at a star-themed retreat, where they swam, rode horses and processed their healing journey.

“I had the chance to talk to many people, grieving from different losses – children, parents, spouses. Everyone was raising children in the midst of this,” recounts Theta P. “We were able to listen to each other and tell stories; we understood each other the way few can.”

Children can have many different reactions when they learn that they or someone they love has been diagnosed with cancer. CancerCare for Kids provides free, professional support services for parents, children and adolescents affected by cancer, as well as information about helping children understand cancer and additional resources.

A dynamic team of CancerCare’s oncology social workers presented at this year’s Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) Annual Conference. Created in 1984 by social workers interested in oncology and by existing national cancer organizations, AOSW is an expanding force of psychosocial oncology professionals. The annual meeting serves as a wonderful opportunity to advance the field of oncology social work, as well as to highlight the important work conducted by CancerCare’s social workers.

Over 400 guests gathered at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on April 22 in support of CancerCare. The 2015 gala raised over $900,000 and featured an address by legendary reporter Sam Donaldson, who served as the event’s Honorary Co-Chair.