The Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group is the vision of one man, Frank Bolle. When Frank was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 1991 he discovered that there wasn't a men's support group in the Santa Cruz area, so he organized and started a local prostate cancer support group. The meetings were held on the second floor of the Dominican Hospital Education Building and the men b
rought their sandwiches to eat during these lunchtime meetings. Frank Bolle convened the group on a regular schedule and led the group to share experiences and information with each other. As the support group continued to grow in membership and in order to insure the ongoing continuity, a steering committee was formed. These men agreed to rotate the leadership of the general meetings and to meet monthly to evaluate issues such as special speakers and expenditures for educational materials. We invited women to attend our first co-ed meeting on November 26th, 2002 as the members decided to welcome our spouses and partners to our regular meetings. In the twenty years since the group was started, the Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group continues to grow as group of men and their partners that assist and support families in dealing with the issues of prostate cancer. When a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer, it affects his entire family and we believe that family should be part of the support group. Participation in a support group can greatly ease the burden of isolation through the journey to health and emotional well-being
