Gilda’s Club South Florida Celebrates Second Annual Community Is Stronger Than Cancer Day

The organization celebrates being a part of a network dedicated to supporting people impacted by cancer

Gilda’s Club South Florida is joining its fellow Cancer Support Community’s (CSC) network partners that include CSC, Gilda’s Clubs, and healthcare partnerships, to celebrate the second annual Community Is Stronger Than Cancer Day. Following the success of the previous year’s inaugural day, CSC and its network are excited to announce that they are continuing the tradition. The event is a day of awareness to promote the support, resources, and services that the passionate community provides to cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and loved ones.  

The celebration takes place each year on June 28^th, a date that coincides with the birthday of one of the great comic geniuses of the 20th century: beloved Saturday Night Live star Gilda Radner who died of ovarian cancer. It was Gilda Radner’s experience at The Wellness Community in Santa Monica, California that inspired the creation of Gilda’s Club. The Cancer Support Community was formed in 2009 when Gilda’s Club and The Wellness Community merged.     

Gilda’s Club South Florida is part of the 190 locations in the United States and beyond that make up a network where cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and loved one’s access free emotional support, healthy lifestyle activities, social connection, education, and referral services provided with compassion and expertise—in person or online. Across all locations, the network has served the community with nearly 300,000 visits in 2022. Each year, Gilda’s Club South Florida alone serves over 3,200 people. 

“We are very grateful to Gilda’s Club and their team. My daughter loves to attend each event. Thank you very much for all the support during this process for my little one,” Gilda’s Club South Florida Member 

In addition to having support in their community, participants are presented opportunities to join forces with other impacted people from partner locations to advocate on issues important to cancer patients at the state and national levels and to contribute to important research that inspires positive change in cancer care and the patient experience.  

“Gilda’s Club South Florida provides a meeting place where those who are impacted by cancer, their families, and friends can join with others to build emotional and social support as a supplement to medical care – all free of charge. We are proud to be part of a network that strives to uphold Gilda Radner’s vision of having a place of participation, education, hope and friendship available to men, women, and children with all types of cancer and their families and friends,” Gilda’s Club South Florida’s President & CEO, Kim Praitano stated.  

To honor this day, the City of Fort Lauderdale has officially proclaimed the day as Community Is Stronger Than Cancer Day. Mayor Dean J. Trantalis has shown his dedication to the millions of people who are living with cancer and acknowledged Gilda’s Club South Florida’s role in working to improve the lives of patients, survivors, caregivers, and their loved ones.  

How Can You Get Involved? 

Gilda’s Club South Florida is asking its supporters to help the network raise awareness of the services available to impacted people at no cost by sharing its social media posts using the hashtags #CelebrateCSCGC #CommunityisStrongerThanCancer. Here’s how! 

• Post a video or photo describing why you volunteer or support Gilda’s Club South Florida
• Make sure to tag Gilda’s Club South Florida’s social media
• Use the hashtags #CelebrateCSCGC #CommunityisStrongerThanCancer #GildasClubSFL #GCSFL #GildasClubSouthFlorida