On October 5, 2011, over 150 young adult cancer survivors went to see 50/50. Some went in groups to an organized YACC screening in St. John’s, Halifax, Bridgewater, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, London, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. Others went to whichever theatre was closest to them.
The idea behind the movie night was to get the community of young adult cancer survivors together to watch a film that outlines their experience in an honest (albeit cinematic) way. The film touched on hair loss, dating trouble, loss of independence, and a slew of other issues we know young adults face when they’re dealing with cancer. As Seth Rogen told Vanity Fair, “People seem to connect to it in a way that I have never really experienced with our movies.”
It was a crazy week of promotion, communication, and ticket purchasing, but it was a blast! We got to reconnect with some survivors we haven’t spoken with in a long time, meet a lot of new people, and provide a local activity. We also raised $856.75 through the Give or Get campaign to help us buy tickets. Thanks, everyone!
As one person said: “This was such a good idea for an event. I must admit I was a bit shy to go, but I am so happy I went as the movie and people I met were great!”
Our hopes for this event at the end of the day were that you would love 50/50, that it would shed light on some of the issues young adults face when they’re dealing with cancer, and that going to a movie together would be a great way to help you connect with people in your area. There’s still a way to go, but we’re making progress!
It’s not too late
There were some unexpected complications, and some of you are still waiting for the movie to come to a theatre near you, but we still want you to see the film. Since we don’t know how long this movie will be in theatres, and some theatres don’t have online ticketing options, here’s what we’ve decided will be the best option:
- Survivors can go see the movie at the theatre of their choice whenever they like.
- Then, email me a photo of the ticket stub or a copy of the receipt with the date, movie title, and price clearly visible. (Please remember the reimbursement is only for the ticket for the survivor, not any supporters).
- And we’ll mail a cheque to the address you provided with your giveorget.ca form.
