NOVEMBER 2025

With Thanksgiving days away, thank you for standing with Fans for the Cure throughout another impactful year. Our community outreach experiences have been both inspiring and humbling—from screenings and health fairs across New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island, and New York City to forging new partnerships with hospitals and nonprofits that share our goals and values.  

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire baseball family—managers, coaches, players, broadcasters, and longtime friends of the game—whose generosity continues to fuel Fans for the Cure’s mission. I am especially grateful to Aaron Boone, who started the Boone Squad back in March, as well as to John Gibbons, Dan Wilson, Mike Shildt, Mark Prior, and DeMarlo Hale. A well-deserved and appreciative shout-out also goes out to Kyle Higashioka, who tied his pledge to his own 2025 (highly productive) HRs and RBI stats. 

I invite you to join us for a special celebration of the upcoming holidays – there is still time to purchase tickets to The Fans for the Cure Holiday Spectacular on Monday, December 8 at the SVA Theatre. For our first-ever concert, we are delighted to welcome Grammy Winner, John Pizzarelli, his regular accompanists Isaiah J. Thompson and Michael Karn, and “(fingers crossed) special friends.” If you have never seen Pizzarelli do a holiday show, get ready for an epic “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Looking ahead, our Giving Tuesday fundraiser will support the distribution of fresh produce and groceries to at least 40–50 families. The event—to be held in Paterson, NJ as part of a prostate cancer screening on December 11 with four local New Jersey collaborators—reflects the heart of our mission: offering practical, compassionate support to men and families navigating all aspects of their health journeys.

Thank you for being part of our community and for making our work possible.

With appreciation,

Ed Randall
Founder + Chief Advocacy Officer
Fans for the Cure

This year’s Giving Tuesday effort will support our work in Paterson, New Jersey, on December 11, where food insecurity continues to affect too many families. (See below.) Your generosity helps us meet men and families where they are—with compassion, dignity, and practical support.

Fans for the Cure will return to Paterson for a free prostate cancer testing and health education event, working together with Maven Health, NJCEED, UNETE Foundation, and the Dominican Republic Consulate's office. In addition to offering PSA tests, general health screenings, and educational resources, we will distribute bags of fresh fruit, vegetables, and pantry staples to local families. The event takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 140 Market Street in Paterson, New Jersey.

Join us on Monday, December 8 at the SVA Theatre for The Fans for the Cure Holiday Spectacular, our first in-person holiday concert. The performers will include Grammy winner, John Pizzarelli, and his Trio, along with an exciting lineup of musicians and surprise guests. Most importantly, the evening will celebrate community, survivorship, and the spirit of the season. Tickets are still available at $50.  

Fans for the Cure will host its second annual Caregivers Summit on Friday, February 20. The program will include a daytime virtual panel featuring experts in caregiving, survivorship, and family support, followed by an in-person reception that evening in NYC. Be sure to mark your calendars now.

We will share further details in the weeks ahead, including registration information for both portions of the event, the names of the panelists, sponsorship opportunities, and more.

Beginning in 2026, taxpayers who do not itemize will be able to deduct up to $1,000 in cash (includes checks, ACH) gifts to qualified public charities – or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. Donors may deduct only the amount they actually give, and this new deduction does NOT apply to contributions to donor-advised funds (DAFs) or private foundations.  To be clear, the $2,000 and $1,000 deduction for non-itemizers are maximum and not automatic amounts.  For example, should a non-itemizer donate $500 to charity, that person’s or couple’s deduction is $500; should the donation for a married couple be $2,500, the maximum deduction holds – $2,000.  

For those who do itemize in 2026, the new rules will require that charitable contributions exceed 0.5% of adjusted gross income before any deduction can be taken, with the rate of the tax benefit capped at 35%. With these changes on the horizon, many donors may find that 2025 is a more advantageous year to complete their giving under the current, more favorable rules.  

Fans for the Cure encourages our supporters to consult their tax advisors and thanks you for your continued generosity.

January 10 – Greenwich Hospital/Yale New Haven Health PSA Testing

Our first screening of 2026 will take place at Greenwich Hospital on the morning of Saturday, January 10, offering PSA tests and patient-navigation resources in collaboration with the hospital’s urology and oncology teams. Exact location within the complex to follow on the website and in the December 30 newsletter.

Super Bowl Catch for the Cure – Sunday, February 8

Save the date: our annual Super Bowl Sunday Catch returns on February 8. This lighthearted tradition brings together supporters, survivors, family members, and friends for a morning of throwing, camaraderie, and awareness—before everyone settles in for the big game. The probable schedule is 

• Dress in layers
• Have a catch
• Drink warm liquids
• Group breakfast

More details in the December 30 newsletter.

February 14 — First Baptist Church at the Yonkers Public Library

We will be returning to the Yonkers Public Library on Saturday, February 14, for a late morning men’s health event hosted by our friends at The First Baptist Church (Yonkers) at the Yonkers Public Library – Riverfront. The program will include a physician presentation, as well as the distribution of educational materials and patient support resources related to prostate cancer. Lunch and informal discussion will follow the speakers and Q&A. More details to follow in the December and January newsletters.

Both of our online support groups are free and open to all men and women respectively, with registration required.

Men's Support Group

• Thursday, December 11 at 7 PM ET – Register for the Men's Support Group meeting. 
• Note change of day: Tuesday, December 23 at 7 PM ET

Women's Support Group

• Tuesday, December 2 at 8 PM ET – Register for the Women's Support Group meeting.
• Tuesday, December 16 at 8 PM ET

Fans for the Cure allows attendees to register for only the immediately upcoming online support group meeting. Thanks for understanding our desire to keep our meetings safe, secure, and private.

We thank Bayer for generously underwriting the technical and production costs associated with Fans for the Cure’s Online Men’s and Women’s/Caregivers’ Support Groups.

Over the past twenty years, Fans for the Cure has been fortunate to develop a strong network of trusted doctors, many of whom practice at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers and highly regarded regional hospitals. We are always available to assist you in finding a prostate cancer-focused physician or multidisciplinary team to guide you and your loved ones through all phases of the disease.

For timely referrals in all fifty states and Canada, please get in touch with us at (888) 301-4414 or via the orange button below. We promise to get back to you within twenty-four hours at the very latest.

In this section, we share links to blog posts, news articles, medical journals, books, and other items that we think will be of interest to you.

1. Prostate cancer recurrence – An easy-to-read write-up covering symptoms, causes, risk factors, prevention, and more. Published by Mayo Clinic.
2. Prostate Cancer Foundation Launches Guide on Genetic Testing for Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer
3. VIDEO: Stacy Loeb, MD, highlights new recommendation for prostate cancer screening – Dr. Loeb has been a guest on our podcast and sits on our Medical Advisory Board.
4. John Tesh Talks Of Battling Prostate Cancer That Doesn’t Produce PSA – The former Entertainment Tonight host shares his experience of being diagnosed with a rare form of prostate cancer that doesn’t produce PSA.
5. VIDEO: British Cyclist Chris Hoy reveals unexpected upside of prostate cancer diagnosis

As we look forward to Thanksgiving, we are mindful that many families are struggling to make ends meet. We invite to you help us to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to families in Paterson, NJ, on December 11.

Call us: 888-301-4414