Thank you to everyone who participated in and supported the 2017 Bras for Cause campaign to benefit Oregon Cancer Foundation’s Financial Assistance Program. We set a lofty goal of $75,000 and we not only reached it, we exceeded it, raising $79,000!
A year of firsts
This was the sixth year for the Bras for Cause community fundraiser and the first time we kicked off the effort in September, holding the annual Build-a-Bra event, in an effort to build momentum and allow more time for voting.
The Build-a-Bra event was held at Along Came Trudy in Springfield. It was a night of comradery and laughter, as creativity and craft supplies were transformed into works of art, displaying messages of hope and support.
“It’s touching to see so many people come together to support cancer patients in our community,” said OCF executive director Amy Johnston. “The room was filled with people who have seen how cancer changes lives, physically and financially, and they gathered in solidarity to make a real impact.”
When October arrived, voting began online and in-store at Dandelions Flowers & Gifts with the annual reveal party. Throughout the month, 44 individual bras and 17 business bras competed for votes in the form of donations.
We wrapped up Bras for Cause in style with another first—the inaugural Girls Night Out at Venue 252 in Eugene. The crowd at this sold-out event enjoyed games, entertainment, a silent auction, dinner and a program that included a fashion show that featured local cancer survivors, and the highly anticipated BRA-VO awards.
And the award goes to…
Taking home the prize for the top fundraising bra in the individual category was Kristina Frank for her creation, titled “Thousand-Petaled Purple Lotus.”
The award for Most Creative bra went to “Ro-Bra-T” by Jeremy Wilken.
Julie Fadden’s bra, titled “Kicking Cancer Out of the Galaxy,” won the award for Best Name.
Debbie Greene’s creation, titled “Key Points,” earned the award for Best Cancer Support.
The award for the Most Humorous bra went to “Monkey See, Monkey Boobs,” created by Amanda Burd with 104.7 KDUK.
In the business bra category, the voting was fierce, but in the end, the bra that raised the most money overall was “Epic,” created by the Breast Care Team at Northwest Surgical Specialists, earning them the coveted “My Cup Runneth Over” trophy, along with bragging rights.
This year’s Bras for Cause campaign was one for the record books and we look forward to seeing what 2018 brings!