For 11 years, Cactus Cancer Society’s vision has been to end isolation among young adults facing cancer. The Young Adult Cancer Advocate of The Year (YAAY) award honors the most dedicated, passionate, and creative leaders in our community. These individuals are changing the landscape for young adults facing cancer, and they do it with heart, courage, and a powerful commitment to blazing a path to a better future for young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.
Each candidate will advocate on behalf of Cactus Cancer Society’s programs that bring young adults facing cancer together at a time when they need connection and support the most. Our community will vote with their dollars for the most deserving advocate, and the candidate who receives the most support during the eight-week competition will be named the Young Adult Cancer Advocate of the Year.
This year’s YAAY competition will reach its culmination at our 11th birthday celebration on April 11, 2026. It will be an unforgettable gathering that recognizes the strength, creativity, and generosity of our advocates.
Do you know the next Young Adult Cancer Advocate of the Year?
Nominations are open now through January 18th!
Who Should Be Nominated?
The Young Adult Cancer Advocate of the Year award is open to anyone advocating for the young adult cancer community. Nominees may be patients, survivors, caregivers, medical professionals, creators, community leaders, or trusted allies. Nominees could be…
🌵 The social worker who connected you with a lifeline
🌵 The cancer influencer who helped you feel understood
🌵 The nurse who brought levity to the hardest days
🌵 The creative voice who captures the YA cancer experience with honesty and heart
🌵 The cancer bestie who shows up for you every time you need them
Top candidates use their voices, platforms, relationships, and imagination to push for a better future. They stand out as leaders who uplift others and inspire change. What matters most is their commitment to ensuring that young adults facing cancer feel seen, heard, valued, and fully supported.
Why Participate in the YAAY Competition?
Cactus Cancer Society’s programs bring young adults facing cancer together during one of the most isolating times in their lives. Whether participants are painting, building, journaling, or sewing, they find themselves in a safe space where belonging, creativity, and resilience are cultivated. Between doodles and DIYs, they share vulnerable stories, belly laughs, and tears with people they met minutes ago, yet who truly understand what they’ve been through.
Participation in the YAAY competition supports Cactus Cancer Society’s programs that are proven to reduce loneliness, anxiety, depression, and psychological distress. These programs are always free for young adults facing cancer thanks to the generosity of advocates and supporters who believe in the power of connection.
By participating in the Young Adult Cancer Advocate of the Year competition, each candidate becomes a vital part of this mission. Their efforts help to ensure that no young adult faces cancer alone.
A Look Back at YAAY 2025
Last year, our candidates inspired the entire community. Together, they raised nearly $40,000 to support programs that make a real difference in the lives of young adults facing cancer. Their creativity, passion, and determination set a powerful example of what advocacy can achieve.
We are proud to celebrate our 2025 YAAY winners, whose dedication continues to inspire!
Their impact reminds us that every advocate can change a life. We cannot wait to meet the next group of extraordinary nominees!