13thirty Cancer Connect

01/01/2026

We’re thrilled to share a huge milestone in our journey — 13thirty Cancer Connect is celebrating 25 YEARS of making a difference!

For 25 years, we've kept the promise Lauren made to Melissa just three nights before she died. For 25 years, we've been laser-focused on helping AYAs live their very best lives. Our grassroots effort, begun around Lauren's dining room table, is now leading the way and setting the pace for AYA cancer support.

We can't wait to celebrate with you all year long! #2026

12/24/2025

As the year comes to a close, we want to pause and say thank you. We are holding close so many memories of connection, understanding, and laughter shared throughout 2025.🦋

The holiday season can be a time of reflection — and for many, it may bring challenges alongside joy. We hope you are surrounded by comfort, peace, and moments that feel meaningful to you.

As we look ahead, we are incredibly excited to enter our 25th year of making a difference and making things better for teens and young adults with cancer. Stay tuned for all the details to celebrate along with us!💙

With gratitude,
Club 13thirty

12/19/2025

Happy birthday to our amazing Events Coordinator, Kelly! 🎉🥳🎈

Kelly always has a way of making us laugh and smile (and reminds us to stretch). Watching her grow from a 13thirty member to an essential part of our team has been so special, and we’re incredibly lucky to have her!💙🦋

12/11/2025

What an incredible spotlight! ✨ Thank you to the Rochester Woman Online Magazine for featuring 13thirty Cancer Connect in the Holiday Edition!

"Melissa's legacy was showing us how to live with purpose, to derive meaning from even the smallest task, and to not let circumstance deter our dreams. We strive to infuse that perspective into every program. Our members have a strong sense of belonging in our 13thirty community, where fears are faced with friends, and successes are celebrated together..."

📖Read more: https://issuu.com/kellybreuer/docs/rochester_woman_online_s_holiday_edition_2025/70

12/02/2025

Every six minutes, a young person hears the words “You have cancer.” Every six minutes, somewhere in our country, a young life is interrupted and for far too many, that interruption is forever.

We are committed to keeping the promise our Founder and Executive Director, Lauren Spiker, made to her daughter - “to make a difference, to make things better.” Our vision is big and bold:

Every teen and young adult with cancer has the resources necessary to transform challenge into strength, uncertainty into resilience, and vulnerability into personal power in order to live their lives fully and with purpose.

To realize that vision and ensure long-term sustainability, we seek to raise $250,000 by November 2026 when we will celebrate our 25th year. With this level of support, Melissa’s living legacy will endure for another 25 years and beyond. A promise made is a promise kept.

Your GivingTuesday gift today—no matter the amount—will change someone's world tomorrow!

https://givebutter.com/powerofapromise

A capital campaign to continue Making a Difference for adolescents & young adults (AYAs) with cancer.

11/27/2025

This Thanksgiving, we’re reminded how meaningful it is to come together, support one another, and share the moments that matter most. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at 13thirty Cancer Connect!!💙🦋🦃

11/26/2025

JOIN US TONIGHT!💙🧡

11/14/2025

JOIN US the night before Thanksgiving for new tunes from Luke Metzler to support 13thirty Cancer Connect and the Hannah Metzler Memorial Fund!🧡💙

📆 Wednesday, Nov. 26th @ 6:30PM
📍 Iron Smoke Distillery

Luke Metzler performs for NBA All-Stars, A-List Actors, and Hall of Fame Pitchers out in Los Angeles, but Fairport will always be his music home.

While Luke left Fairport in 2017 and drove across the country to launch his music journey, it was Fairport (and Rochester) that built his musical foundation. From Fairport HS choir, jazz band, and musicals, Fairport’s music culture was a gift to Luke, and he immersed himself in it. His garage band, Clearly From Negligence, with Danny Raycraft (FHS ’12), Ryan Yarmel (FHS ’11), Alex Martens (McQuaid ’14), and Marc Malsegna (Rush Henrietta ’13; currently Hell’s Kitchen lead guitarist on Broadway), got invited to Los Angeles as one of America’s Top 10 Teen bands, a trip that planted West Coast seeds that would later bloom.

At The University of Rochester, Luke sang in the YellowJackets a Ca****la group, a Rochester music institution that shaped his voice for the career he has carved out today - now, he’s one of the most popular and sought after performers for events in Southern California.

Don’t miss this homecoming for one of Fairport’s own, while supporting Hannah’s Fund and 13thirty Cancer Connect - a local nonprofit organization that helped Luke’s dear sister Hannah during her battle with Glioblastoma.🦋

11/10/2025

From all of us at 13thirty Cancer Connect, THANK YOU for making Journeys, the 24th Annual Celebration of Living truly unforgettable! Case closed!🔍🕵️

What a special, incredible night! Because of you, 13thirty’s mission moves forward — today, tomorrow, and always.💙🦋

Special thanks to the Hype Booth for these awesome pics! See our gallery here: https://www.thehypebooth.com/2025/13Thirty-Journeys