You May Have Noticed!

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You may have noticed that our website looks a little different! We thought we’d answer some quick FAQs to get us all started here at our new home!

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It’s July already?!

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We hope you’re having a great summer!

We can’t believe it’s July already! This summer is flying by!

We wanted to let you know that Cactus Cancer Society (formerly Lacuna Loft) will be pushing pause on programs through the month of July. We’ve got some pretty amazing things in the works and we’re very excited about getting back to you this August with more wonderful programs.

What do we plan on doing for the rest of the month? Trust us, it’s not a vacation ;). It’ll be business as usual over here as we strategically plan, grant write, program plan, evaluate, dream, network, and talk young adult cancer survivorship to anyone who will listen! We’ll also be moving into our new website for Cactus Cancer Society (pardon our dust in the interim, and more on that here), as well as going crazy at the chalkboard with Elephants and Tea planning out Gabfest 2021!

Don’t’ worry! While we’re busy behind the scenes, you’ll still be able to:

  • Read through our blog! It dates back all the way through March of 2014, so there’s lots to read!
  • Take part in a meditation series with Mamma G at Elephants and Tea on July 11th and July 18th!
  • Sign up for our new Guy’s Discussion program! It premieres in August and we are SO excited about it.
  • The next Survivorship Series has been announced! Register today!
  • Check out our Grief to Gratitude workshop with Lov Yoga and Tara Picklo that is starting when we get back!
  • Are you a healthcare provider? Get all the details on our FREE continuing education course with LCSW Jean Rowe, Nourish, Nurture, and Renew.
  • And much, much more on our Upcoming Programs page!

In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to email info@lacunaloft.org and tell us anything! From what new yummy recipe you’ve tried out, who your favorite Tik-Tok-er is, to what Pinterest fails (or wins!) you’ve been up to creating this summer! It could even be what you want to see more of here at Cactus Cancer Society, we want to hear it all!

Have a wonderful July and we’ll see you in August! 🙂

Drag Bingo Brunch Is Just Around The Corner

Lacuna Loft recently celebrated its 6 year anniversary as a nonprofit!  To celebrate, we’re hosting a Disney-themed, Drag Bingo Brunch featuring Miss Redd!  We’ve been hinting at a big reveal happening at the event, and here it is…we’re going to unveil our rebrand and new name at the event!  We’ve spent the last 9 months going through an exhaustive process and we are very excited about our new name and how it resonates with the work we do and the community we serve.  Want to be the first to know?  Grab your ticket today!

What do we mean by Drag Bingo Brunch?  A lovely drag queen, Miss Redd, will be hosting a bingo brunch with us!  We’ll have prizes, dance numbers, a costume contest, and attendees will be the very first to hear a HUGE announcement from us!

Is there a theme?  Yep!  Disney!

Do I need to dress in drag?  Nope!  Can you?  Sure!  We’ll have a costume contest though so dressing up according to our Disney theme is extremely encouraged. 😉

Who will be there?  Everyone!  Join with Lacuna Loft staff, board members, supporters, and community members!

How much does it cost?  This is a pay-as-you-can event!  While the suggested, minimum donation is $6 we totally understand that people have different financial capacities so you can join the drag bingo brunch, whether you pay $0, $6, or more!

Join us on Saturday, May 8th at 10 am PT / 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET for a 90-minute Drag Bingo Brunch.

Learn more and grab your tickets here!

Drag Bingo Brunch With Miss Redd

miss redd drag queen

Today, Lacuna Loft turns 6 years old as a nonprofit!!!  To celebrate, we’re hosting a Disney-themed, Drag Bingo Brunch featuring Miss Redd!

What do we mean by Drag Bingo Brunch?  A lovely drag queen, Miss Redd, will be hosting a bingo brunch with us!  We’ll have prizes, dance numbers, a costume contest, and attendees will be the very first to hear a HUGE announcement from us!

Is there a theme?  Yep!  Disney!

Do I need to dress in drag?  Nope!  Can you?  Sure!  We’ll have a costume contest though so dressing up according to our Disney theme is extremely encouraged. 😉

Who will be there?  Everyone!  Join with Lacuna Loft staff, board members, supporters, and community members!

How much does it cost?  This is a pay-as-you-can event!  While the suggested, minimum donation is $6 we totally understand that people have different financial capacities so you can join the drag bingo brunch, whether you pay $0, $6, or more!

Join us on Saturday, May 8th at 10 am PT / 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET for a 90-minute Drag Bingo Brunch.

Learn more and grab your tickets here!

Body Image, Social Support, and Physical Activity Among AYA Cancer Survivors

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Lacuna Loft loves sharing about research studies.  Check out this one from the University of Toronto!

You are invited to participate in a research study that aims to better understand body image, social support, and physical activity behaviours among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

The study involves completing one 30-minute online questionnaire. Your participation in this study is voluntary.

Your participation in this study will assist the researchers in developing future programing to help adolescent and young adult cancer survivors to help manage quality of life issues and increase physical activity.

Participants will be entered into a draw to receive one of twenty $25 gift cards for your involvement in the study.

This study has been reviewed and received ethics approval through the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board (Reference #39245).

Thank you for your time and consideration. If you are interested in participating in this study please contact Madison Vani (madison.vani@mail.utoronto.ca, 416-854-9662) directly or complete the survey here.

Support Lacuna Loft At A Canvas + Cocktails Evening!

painting of tree with flowers at night

Join Lacuna Loft for a night of fun and crafting, painting, and cocktails led by our Chief Program Officer, Aerial Donovan, and a lovely artist, Kent.  When you can’t join a paint and sip in person, we’ll bring the fun directly to you!  Grab a friend (near or far, we’ll be on Zoom!) and join Lacuna Loft online for an opportunity to directly support our programs for young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers while also creating a beautiful canvas acrylic painting and learning a fun cocktail!

After making your contribution toward the event we’ll send you everything you need for the event in the mail!

Join us on Thursday, April 22nd at 5 pm PT / 7 pm CT / 8 pm ET for a 90-minute Crafting Night.

Psst, having a hard time with the price tag?  We totally get it!  We’ll keep hosting free creative art workshops for our community of young adults facing cancer but this event might be perfect for a friend or family member of yours!

Grab your ticket today!

Join A Focus Group + Be Heard!

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Are you between the ages of 26-35 and have been diagnosed with ALL or AML? We’d love to chat with you!

Join a focus group, hosted by Lacuna Loft, Elephants and Tea, and Servier Pharmaceuticals. Servier is looking to speak with 15 young adults facing cancer, ages 26-35, about your survivorship. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Better understanding your survivorship challenges will help Servier better innovate in their creation and delivery of cancer tools and resources.

The group will be focused around ALL and AML survivors but young adults facing other diagnoses may also attend. The focus group will take place on Feb. 10th or Feb 11th. 5-6:30 pm PT / 7-8:30 pm CT / 8-9:30 pm ET.

Each focus group will bring together 5-10 young adults facing cancer for a moderated discussion over 2 hours. The discussion will happen over Zoom so you can be comfy and cozy at home for the whole thing. You will be compensated for your time and energy because your voice and perspective are so important in the delivery of cancer survivorship resources.

Sign up below to join the discussion today and offer your voice!

Have questions?  Email mallory@lacunaloft.org.

GABFEST IS NEXT WEEK

Did you know…that GABFEST IS NEXT WEEK!  We’ve teamed up with Elephants and Tea, taken the greatest pieces of an in-person survivorship conference, brought it online, and spread it out over the next week.

Throughout the week of December 7th, we invite you to share, explore, and learn as we interact together.  You are the expert in your own care, so along with experts in the fields, Gabfest will combine and elevate the individual voices of the young adult cancer community.

We have a great agenda lined up, fabulous opportunities for learning and connecting, a raffle each night (more on that at our opening welcome), and more!

Learn more and sign up here!