By Emily Williams
With the start of the new year, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation presented its largest donation to date, $1,050,000, to the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Those funds were raised throughout the year via a wide variety of events – golf tournaments, casino nights, a motorcycle ride and an archery competition, among others.
On Feb. 21, it is all about fashion for the BCRFA as the organization hosts its You Are Beautiful Luncheon.
Held at the Harbert Center, the luncheon seeks to “celebrate what makes you beautiful,” featuring a fashion show with clothing from B. Prince modeled by cancer survivors and women who are currently undergoing treatment.
“I was diagnosed in 2008 with triple negative breast cancer and I have been free of cancer since 2012,” said BCRFA board President Jill Carter, who will be modeling at the event.
During the show, Carter and her fellow models will wear either wigs or turbans styled by event partner Jodi Johnson of J. Wigs.
As of January 2020, there are more than 3.5 million women in the United States with a history of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, including women currently being treated and those who have finished treatment.
For many, the journey through breast cancer treatment does not simply take a toll on the body inwardly or spiritually, but also results in apparent physical changes. Hair loss is among those changes that can be immediately noticeable.
According to a statement by Dr. Marisa Weiss, chief medical officer for breastcancer.org, “There are studies that show that for many women, losing their hair is worse than losing a breast. That’s because you can conceal the loss of a breast, but hair loss is so obvious and apparent.”
Celebrating the style and beauty of these patient and survivors, event partner Gretchen Birdwell of Gretchen B Photography will be photographing each model.
Each of those portraits will be presented in a live auction. Winning bidders will receive a $500 studio credit with Gretchen B Photography, and the portraits will go to their respective models.
The funds raised will feed back into the BCRFA and its support of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB as well as its partners.
“This is really personal to me,” Carter said, “the impact that it has had on my life, my family and friends and the community in general.”
Statistically speaking, one in eight women and one in about 883 men are expected to develop breast cancer at some point during their lifetimes.
By working with the BCRFA, Carter has a way to create change and help other breast cancer patients by funding research and treatments.
“This is one way that I see to make a positive difference moving forward so other people don’t have to go through what I went through,” she said.
