A New Standard for Support: Duke and the Menges Family Redefine Cancer Care
Even as he neared the end of a battle with cancer that he had fought since childhood, Duke University student Bobby Menges was thinking about helping others.
Just two months before his death in 2017, Bobby — a prolific public speaker who advocated for young cancer patients — told an audience at the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club in New York, “One thing that’s easy to get wrapped up in is writing a check and calling it a day. Although donating money is good, I think it’s really important to get into the trenches.”
That sentiment has become the mission of the foundation that Bobby’s parents, Liz and Peter, created in his memory. The I’m Not Done Yet Foundation surpassed $1 million in gifts to Duke Health in 2025 and has transformed how the Duke Cancer Institute supports young people with cancer.
Inspired by their son’s relentless determination to help others, Peter and Liz began the collaboration with Duke Cancer Institute in 2018, focused on developing programs and services that have empowered and benefitted hundreds of teen and young adult cancer patients ever since.
Fueled by Bobby’s own ideas and funded by Duke Shave & Buzz — an annual head-shaving event that Bobby co-founded, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year — the collaboration embodies Bobby’s powerful yet joyful advocacy for young people with cancer.
“Throughout his experience as a young cancer patient in several hospitals, Bobby identified gaps in care and service for teens and young adults,” Liz said. “We view Duke as being so special not only because they provided excellent medical care for Bobby, but also because when we have come to Duke with ideas for filling those gaps, they have never said no.”
Model for Philanthropic Partnership
Three focus areas — peer-to-peer coaching, preserving young cancer patients’ ability to have children, and fitness and wellness — form the cornerstones of a service network created by Duke and supported by the foundation. These ancillary services are just as vital to young cancer patients as treatment itself, the Menges said.
“Peter and Liz Menges have shaped a model for philanthropic partnership at Duke Health — one rooted in deep collaboration, vision, and action. Their commitment has not only advanced the Onco-Fertility Program and new IMPACT physical activity initiative, but it has also helped translate Duke research into real-world support for young people with cancer,” said Michael Kastan, MD, PhD, executive director of the Duke Cancer Institute. “Through their leadership and generosity, the Menges have driven innovation and inspired a new standard for donor engagement.”
The collaboration works like this: identify a problem, find a way to solve it, then build something that has lasting impact, Peter said.
“That is the power of the relationship with Duke and why we love it so much, and why we're thrilled to keep giving and giving and giving,” Peter said. “We’re always looking for the next idea, and Duke has been extremely open and receptive.”
Working with the Duke Teen and Young Adult Oncology Program, the foundation helped establish positions for a nurse navigator and a medical family therapist, as well as a clinical psychologist, a role filled by Caroline Dorfman, PhD, associate professor in the Duke Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dorfman has an extensive research portfolio focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating psychosocial interventions in oncology populations with a focus on research that addresses the unique needs of young cancer survivors. She also devotes her time providing clinical work, mentorship, and advocacy.
The Duke Cancer Institute is the only national cancer institute that offers marriage and family therapy to patients and their loved ones, available at no cost thanks in part to the foundation’s support, said Cheyenne Corbett, PhD, director of the Supportive Care and Survivorship Center.
Road Map for Others
Bobby was an early participant in peer-to-peer coaching. Now called Bobby's Coaches, the program launched by I’m Not Done Yet and the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences provides free peer support for young patients with cancer by connecting them with someone who also coped with cancer at a young age.
Bobby also advocated for fertility preservation therapy, a critical and often overlooked concern for young cancer patients. Because of the foundation’s support, the Duke Onco-Fertility Program gives an increasing number of patients the chance to become parents after the challenges of cancer. Referrals have surged from 50 patients in 2019 to more than 228 in 2025.
Support from the foundation also offsets the high cost of fertility preservation, making services accessible to patients who otherwise could not afford them. Duke and the foundation even co-wrote a white paper that details these efforts and serves as a road map for other institutions.
Funds provided by I’m Not Done Yet helped establish a dedicated onco-fertility navigator who plays a crucial role in patient education, helping patients access fertility counseling appointments, and facilitating collaboration between oncology and fertility teams. Recognizing the emotional distress related to fertility issues that teen and young adult cancer patients often experience, the navigator also facilitates referrals to psychosocial support services.
Sparked by Bobby’s Vision
Most recently, the foundation and Duke Teen and Young Adult Oncology Program launched a fitness and wellness program focused on improving physical ability and social reengagement for young cancer survivors.
The IMPACT program, or Improving Mobility and Physical Activity After Cancer Treatment, is designed to reduce long-term health risks and help survivors regain confidence and capability. In an ongoing study of the program’s effectiveness, data show striking improvements in strength, balance, and cardiovascular endurance, as well as emotional support and confidence.
“I would recommend this program to any young adult experiencing cancer,” one participant wrote in a feedback survey. “This program has given me greater agency over my body, which is something I felt I lost during treatment.”
Duke Cancer Institute plans to turn this successful model into an ongoing service, thanks to inspiration from I’m Not Done Yet.
“As the foundation surpasses $1 million in gifts, we celebrate the extraordinary partnership with the Menges family and I’m Not Done Yet. Their hands-on approach to philanthropy — sparked by Bobby’s vision — has empowered our team at Duke to develop, test, and implement innovative models of care for adolescent and young adult patients with cancer,” Corbett said. “The support and services now in place are a living tribute to Bobby’s legacy, improving lives and inspiring hope every day.”
Duke Shave & Buzz
The foundation achieved the remarkable milestone thanks to fundraising by Duke Shave & Buzz. A year before he died, Bobby co-founded the annual event with friends at Duke Pi Kappa Alpha.
Now run by Duke students who never knew Bobby, the Shave & Buzz club raised $266,000 this year during the 10th anniversary, the most money raised at a single event yet. All proceeds go to the foundation.
Amazed by the success of Shave & Buzz, Peter and Liz chalk up the event’s remarkable longevity to seeds that Bobby planted years ago and to the extraordinary commitment to helping others that they witness across Duke.
“This is money raised by Duke, for Duke,” Peter said. “Together, we have built a collaborative ecosystem that keeps perpetuating bigger and bigger things. It's just incredible what has happened, and what Bobby put into motion.”