Diversity & AYA Chapter Updates | Q4 Newsletter 2025
Men of Diversity & AYA Chapter Update: Building Bridges to Resources and Community
At the 2025 Gathering of Wolves, Man Up to Cancer launched the Men of Diversity Chapter, created in response to a critical gap: men of color are often diagnosed at later stages and are far less likely to seek or see themselves in cancer support spaces. This chapter gives them something many have never had—a community where they can see faces and stories that look like their own.
The chapter is led by Bill Thach, who also leads the AYA and co-leads the Texas chapter. Membership has already grown into the triple digits, and since November the group has held monthly virtual meetups. Attendance has nearly tripled, from 4 men at the first meeting to 11 in December.
When Bill asked members what they wanted, two themes stood out:
“More people that looked like me.”
“A place to talk about causes that are important to me that others outside my culture do not understand.”
Members are finding exactly that. A safe, culturally aware space to share how they’re handling treatment and survivorship, talk openly about stigma and identity, and support each other through the ups and downs of cancer.
To reach more men of color, Bill is actively connecting with major hospital systems serving diverse populations, including MD Anderson, Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, Moffitt, City of Hope, Northside Hospital, and San Antonio Valley Hospital, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. He is also exploring collaborations with nonprofits such as Stupid Cancer, Dear Jack Foundation, Teen Cancer America, Now Included, and Proud Asian Men.
Looking ahead, the Men of Diversity Chapter plans to expand outreach, host in-person meetups, and empower members to advocate for themselves and for the next generation of men of color facing cancer and showing them that they truly have a place here.
Bill is also expanding the reach of the AYA Chapter by building relationships with other organizations that serve the adolescent and young adult cancer community. He is actively working with Stupid Cancer to send a delegation of AYAs to CancerCon in 2026, and collaborating with the Dear Jack Foundation to connect members with retreats and life-enhancing programs. Recently, AYA member Frank Blandon attended a Dear Jack Foundation retreat in Philadelphia—an example of the kinds of meaningful experiences Bill is working to make accessible.
Bill is also making sure Man Up to Cancer members know about programs like:
His goal is simple but powerful: to ensure that AYAs facing a life-changing diagnosis at such a young age don't have to navigate treatment and survivorship alone. Through these partnerships, Bill hopes to grow access to programs, create lasting collaborations, and lighten the load for young men who deserve support, connection, and hope.
Looking to join one of these community chapters? Contact Bill Thach at bill@manuptocancer.org