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Suits And Sneakers week is January 25-31

​Please help promote it on social media.

The annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week is coming up January 25-31.

The week unites basketball coaches across the country to raise funds and awareness about the fight against cancer and promotes the American Cancer Society as a source of inspiration and hope for those facing cancer.  

While coaching games during the week, coaches wear sneakers with their game attire as a visible reminder of their support of ACS. This year, we’re adding an even more visible element to Suits And Sneakers Week for Division I head coaches: Coaches vs. Cancer-branded face masks that head and assistant coaches are encouraged to wear.  

In addition to Suits And Sneakers Week, we have a Suits And Sneakers fundraising platform that any school (college, high school, and youth league) or volunteer can use to create a customizable fundraising page.

Teams and individuals who choose to participate in this fundraising side of Suits And Sneakers can fundraise anytime, and are not limited to just Suits And Sneakers Week. This season, our Suits And Sneakers fundraiser will support childhood cancer research, services, and awareness.

You can follow the action on the national leaderboard at SuitsAndSneakers.org. The top fundraising college and high school teams in the nation will be recognized as Suits And Sneakers National Champions on March 31.

Volunteers can also use these Suits And Sneakers fundraising pages to support existing ACS events. To find out how, please click here.

Please help promote this on social media, especially if your hometown team is participating! 

Be sure to tag @AmericanCancer, @CoachesvsCancer, and use #SuitsAndSneakers. 


  • Join us on Feb. 4 for our national Relay For Life kickoff!

    Although Relay For Life may look different across the country this year, our passion and commitment remain the same. We’re continuing to keep our Relay community connected virtually and making it easy for anyone, anywhere, to help fight cancer. 

    On Thursday, Feb. 4, World Cancer Day, our Relay 2021 Kickoff will bring together our nationwide community for an exciting virtual event. The fun will begin at 8 p.m. ET. RSVP here.

    To learn more and to register a team for 2021, visit relayforlife.org. 

    Thank you to everyone who took a #RelayFirstLap on Jan. 9. 

    National Relay Weekend
    And, it all comes together mid-May during National Relay Weekend, when we’ll honor survivors, celebrate caregivers, and walk for a cancer-free future. Thanks for your support!

  • 2019 Annual Report available electronically

    The American Cancer Society’s 2019 Annual Report is available electronically on cancer.org. This redesigned, simplified version was created based on feedback from users throughout the organization.

    The American Cancer Society 2019 Annual Report outlines our path forward as we work to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. In the report, we showcase our accomplishments, and we detail revenue and spending for the calendar year 2019. The full 2019 Financial Statements are also available on cancer.org. 

    Through this report, the American Cancer Society recognizes the countless contributions of communities, our volunteers, and partners who help us lead the fight against cancer. As a reminder, this is only a snapshot of all the amazing work that our volunteers and staff are accomplishing throughout the organization. 

    Please note all data in this report is from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    For the latest data available, please review the American Cancer Society Vital Statistics resource. 

  • Don't forget to use AmazonSmile to benefit ACS this holiday season!

    ​0.5% of your eligible purchases will be donated to ACS at no cost to you.

    When shoppers select the Society as their charity of choice through the AmazonSmile program, Amazon will donate 0.5% of their eligible purchases to us, at no cost to the shopper. To select the Society, use this link.

    In the past year, Amazon enabled AmazonSmile on the app, so it’s now easier than ever to benefit the Society. Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations from wherever you are shopping all year long. 

    Once you've signed up, remember to go to smile.amazon.com, not amazon.com, from your laptop. 

    ACS has been a beneficiary of the AmazonSmile program since 2014, and received more than $1 million. 

  • ACS supporter running in 30 states in 30 days

    ​He surpassed his fundraising goal of $5,000, so he's upped it to $8,000.

    Matteo DeVincenzo is a recent Princeton University graduate who expected to work at a NYC law firm this summer - but COVID hit and his start date was suspended indefinitely. Suddenly, he had a lot of time on his hands. He took the LSAT in preparation for applying to law schools, he trained for and completed his first marathon, and he became a connoisseur of craft beers.

    Matt has now combined those two avocations of running and enjoying local brews (in moderation, of course), and created a fundraiser to support ACS-funded research. 

    His 30 states in 30 days driving and running journey started on Nov. 21 in his hometown of Port Jefferson, NY. There to see him off, along with his parents, aunt, and grandmother, were Megan Stewart and June Ingraham, senior managers, Community Development, in the Northeast Region.

    Since then, Matt has been been to 19 more states. When in Fairfield, CT, he spoke with Kelsey McGettigan, who shared with him the good work that the Relay For Life of Fairfield does; in Boston he met Dylan Lazerow, who gave Matt a tour of the Hope Lodge there; when in College Station PA, he got a visit from Dan Heist, the former chair of our national Board of Directors; and while in Georgia last week, he stopped at our Hope Lodge in Atlanta to meet Tim Phillips, our chief legal and risk officer (pictured above). 

    Megan and June also have arranged for staff and volunteers to call Matt during some his his long-haul driving stints, including several Road To Recovery and Reach To Recovery volunteers;  Paul Gruol, a crack fundraiser who previously shared tips with Matt; and Ramon Bermo, director, Community Development - Endurance, in the Northeast Region, who provided encouragement on the running and endurance side of things. 

    Matt is running at least 15 miles in each state, for a total of 450 miles, and sampling local brews along the way. His trip is scheduled to end in Nevada on Dec. 20.

    Why is he doing this? As you might guess, cancer has impacted his family. His grandfather, Vincent, died of colon cancer in 2009. His grandmother, Patricia, has battled both ovarian cancer and breast cancer over the last 20 years. And, his aunt, Patricia, has fought breast cancer for the last six years. "There are no words to describe the amount of suffering that an individual - and their family - undergoes when fighting this disease," said Matt. "On this journey, I hope to do my part in honoring those impacted, while enduring a form of hardship on my own."

    “Matteo’s itinerary is ambitious,” said Megan. “We’re excited to support him and even connecting him with cancer survivors along the way. . . We’re grateful to our colleagues in other Regions who have agreed to meet Matteo as he comes through their states."

    ACS gave Matt 30 different customized billboards to use in photos he takes in each state.

    Matt's journey has garnered some nice media attention:

    You can learn more by visiting Matt's fundraising page.

    You can also follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Strava.


  • Deadline extended for Volunteer Staff Partnership Award nominations

    ​All nominations must be submitted by Monday, Dec. 14.

    The Volunteer Staff Partnership Award recognizes volunteer and staff teams that model a successful partnership to positively impact the mission of the Society. 

    These volunteer and staff teams may operate side-by-side in the community, collaborate on projects virtually, or work together across the globe. One partnership will be chosen from each Region and Global Headquarters for a total of seven winners. 

    For more details about this award, review the National Awards Overview, and work with your staff partner to complete a nomination form.

    A completed nomination form with appropriate electronic signatures must be submitted for each nominee to Michelle Brady by Monday, Dec. 14. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle directly.

  • Thanks for your support on #GivingTuesday - donations are always welcome!

    ​On #GivingTuesday, the world focused on giving, and we had an opportunity to showcase the urgent needs of cancer patients and ACS in a climate that has been significantly impacted by COVID-19. 

    Thanks to the generous support of anonymous matching gift donors, all donations made to ACS on #GivingTuesday will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $75,000.

    We need your help beyond #Giving Tuesday! Spread the word on your personal social media channels encouraging friends and family to choose ACS this giving season.

    Watch for shareable posts on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Or, use one of the following sample social media post - and be sure to tag ACS.

    • COVID-19 has made fighting cancer even harder. Help save the fight against cancer by donating to ACS at: cancer.org/donate

    Thank you!

  • Relay For Life of Father Ryan High School soars despite COVID

    In the midst of a pandemic, the Relay For Life of Father Ryan High School in Nashville, TN, did not disappoint. Participants continued to raise critical funds for our mission and even met safely in person. 

    The Relay committee followed ACS safety guidelines to plan and host an in-person, student-led event this year. Co-chairs Julia Eidt and Matthew Dilucchio, both seniors, helped fellow students run the event with support and guidance from their co-advisors Michelle Mast and Jonathan McGee, both faculty at the school. 

    On Saturday, Oct. 31, top fundraising students were allowed to attend the event. Many students achieved this milestone by participating in our Peer-to-Peer Fall Fundraising Challenge. The event ranked #2 in the challenge, with 139 winners. Each winner raised at least $250 and received a long-sleeved, hooded t-shirt. There was a cap on the number of attendees to keep everyone safe. 

    On the day of the event, the committee met at 8 a.m., with every student sharing why they Relay. The students saw this as a special moment to share what motivated them to raise funds for the Society. Although this year looked different due to social distancing, it was a special bonding moment during a challenging year. 

    With their hard work for this event alone, it is clear why the Relay For Life of Father Ryan High School was the Nationwide Pat Flynn Spirit of Relay Winner in 2019. 

    Early in 2020 (before COVID-19), the Relay For Life of Father Ryan High School made a goal to raise $179,000. With their determination and Relay spirit, they were able to raise more than $162,000. The Relay ranked #3 in the nation in high school events. and #5 nationwide for all campus events. 

    We would also like to acknowledge the hard work of two other high-performing high school events in the nation. Both were able to take advantage of their full fundraising season without many COVID-19 implications:

    • The New Jersey Union County Vocational Technical School took the #1 spot for high schools and ranks #2 for all campus events, having raised more than $199,000. UCVTC pivoted their event to attend our Relay USA. 
    • The #2 spot for high schools went to Kansas Blue Valley Youth for raising more than $173,000, and they ranked #4 for all campus events – hosting an in-person event prior to the impact of COVID-19 on March 6. 

  • ACS mourns the passing of longtime volunteer Linda Mowad

    ​Linda (Ziter) Mowad, RN, 78, of Prospect, CT, died at home on Thanksgiving morning, with her family by her side.

    Linda was the director of the Cancer Information Service for New England at the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center for 35 years. She was a past chair of the former American Cancer Society New England Board of Directors, and in 1998 she was awarded the St. George National Award from the Society. 

    The award-winning Cancer Information Service, a network for the National Cancer Institute, served the public by interpreting and explaining cancer-related information and research findings in a clear and understandable way. The main office for the New England Region was located at Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, where Linda oversaw programs, research, and community outreach activities.

    A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Dec. 1 in Waterbury, CT, and burial followed in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Watertown, CT.

    To honor Linda's memory, donations in her name may be made to the American Cancer Society or Our Lady of Lebanon Church, 8 East Mountain Rd., Waterbury, CT 06706. The family welcomes condolence, words of comfort, or a personal memory with the Mowad family on Linda's tribute page.
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