By Jacqueline Chandler/Messenger Correspondent
A reception for the Never Surrender/Bras for the Cause campaign for breast cancer awareness was held Oct. 30, at Advanced Imaging in Gadsden. Free mammograms, door prizes, and refreshments were available to members of the community.
Several large donations were presented to Never Surrender, including a $6,000 check from Chick-fil-A. Boobilicious Marble Run raised $3,701, Ultra Care Inc. raised $2,081 and the United Steel Workers Local 12 Women of Steel raised $1,503.
Individual winners of the contest were Brandi Thomson and Donna Davis with their entry entitled, “Crappie.” The Best Bra Designed by an Organization award was a tie between Alabama Teachers Credit Union and Advanced Dermatology.
“Our primary goal is to focus on early detection through mammograms,” said Never Surrender executive director Tara Fulford. “We also focus on raising breast cancer awareness through our different events throughout the year.”
Never Surrender is a non-profit organization raising money through fundraising to provide mammograms to uninsured women in Etowah County that cannot afford screenings on their own. The organization also helps with other related expenses for women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Fulford acknowledged that although they didn’t have as many entries this year, the quality of the entries was amazing. Male members of Absolute Fitness will model the entries during the Bras for the Cause Auction next year, another creative event to raise money for breast cancer prevention. Absolute Fitness is a major partner of Never Surrender, helping raise awareness and funding.