Man Up to Cancer Hosts Largest Ever Men’s Cancer Retreat

Man Up to Cancer Hosts Largest Ever Men’s Cancer Retreat

More than 100 patients and survivors from across North America converged in Western New York for the second annual Gathering of Wolves

DELEVAN, N.Y., Sept. 10, 2023 — Man Up to Cancer, North America’s leading support community for men impacted by cancer, hosted its second annual retreat Sept. 7-10 at Duffield Camp and Retreat Center.

The Gathering of Wolves was the largest men’s cancer retreat ever held in the U.S., with 110 members of Man Up to Cancer in attendance. Attendees traveled from across the U.S. and Canada, and as far away as Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. The retreat was more than twice the size of last year’s inaugural event.

“Cancer brings stress and hardship in all areas of our lives. This retreat is all about taking a break from that stress and spending time with guys who are walking the same road,” said Man Up to Cancer founder Trevor Maxwell of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. “It’s all about fun, food, relaxation, campfires, and brotherhood.”

Thanks to sponsors and individual donations, the retreat was entirely free for attendees. Those who needed travel assistance received funding from the Scott Johnson Memorial Fund, in partnership with the Johnson family of Berlin, Conn. The fund is named in honor of Scott Johnson, a family man, firefighter, and U.S. Coast Guard veteran who passed away from cancer in 2017 at the age of 43.

The lead planners for the Gathering of Wolves are Amanda Wolanske of Buffalo, N.Y., and Michael Riehle of South Wales, N.Y. Sponsors for the event are Natera, Seagen, Guardant Health, Fight Colorectal Cancer, Colon Cancer Coalition, and the American Association for Cancer Research.

Man Up to Cancer, with a membership of more than 2,300, inspires men to connect and avoid isolation during their cancer journeys. Besides the annual retreat, the organization offers peer-to-peer support, chemo backpack program, and more than 30 local chapters.

“When faced with cancer, women tend to reach out, and men tend to check out. This leads to mental health problems, strained relationships, and poor medical outcomes,” Maxwell said. “It’s time for a new path. We are changing what it means to ‘Man Up.’ It’s not just about being tough. It means having the courage to accept help, and knowing we are smarter and stronger as a pack than we are as lone wolves.”

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Man Up to Cancer is a non-profit organization (EIN# 93-3745038) incorporated in the state of Maine, and our tax-exempt status as a 501 (c)(3) organization is pending approval from the Internal Revenue Service .No goods or services will be exchanged for your contribution, and your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law. Please speak to your tax advisor for any additional guidance you may need.