Spring Break
Alumna revives BreastFest in honor of mother's struggle
COURTNEY SMITH
Issue date: 3/19/09 Section: Out & About
BreastFest is celebrating its 10-year anniversary and an Athens area revival this weekend with a day full of bands, beer, breasts and awareness.
Started in 1999 in memory of her mother who lost her life to breast cancer, University alumna Sara O'Brien kept BreastFest alive in Athens until moving to New Jersey in 2002.
Where: The Taylor Grady House, 634 Prince Avenue
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door and includes admission, entertainment, food, wine and beer, silent auction and raffle
"When [Sara] was in college, she began to read the journal my mother had kept when she was sick and it really touched her," said O'Brien's sister and organizer of the Athens BreastFest, Megan Lewis. "She felt that she needed to do something therapeutic about what she felt so she started BreastFest and now there are also festivals in Baltimore and New Jersey."
Each local BreastFest fundraiser is organized by one of the three sisters who lives in the area. According to Lewis, her sister's move from Athens back home to her native New Jersey caused the Athens BreastFest to diminish and eventually cease to exist entirely.
"BreastFest has been going on for 10 years in Baltimore and New Jersey but the Athens area one kind of fizzled out after my sister moved away," she said. "But, when I moved here with my family in 2006 I really wanted to start it back up again because of my mother's memory and fight and to raise awareness about the disease."
Although raising awareness and funds for St. Mary's Women's Imaging Center is the primary purpose of the event, Lewis describes the atmosphere to be more like a family-friendly "music festival" that will feature local bands who have donated their time to show their support for breast cancer research.
"BreastFest has always had music and been about music, and this year we are going to have just one big venue as opposed to a lot of smaller venues like previous years," music organizer and participating musician Betsy Franck said. "My band [Betsy Franck and the Bare Knuckle Band] will be playing so being part of the music scene has really helped me put together a lineup of really great musicians who are also very gracious and excited about participating in the event."
According to Lewis, last year's BreastFest raised $7,500, and they hope to at least double that number at this year's event.
"We keep trying to grow the event more every year so to be able to donate more money," Lewis said. "I would love for Athens BreastFest to get as big as the one in Baltimore that raised over $100,000 last year and were able to build a new women's center and dedicate it in my mother's name."
"Even though they are a much bigger city, we hope to be able to do that much because it is just so inspiring."
Started in 1999 in memory of her mother who lost her life to breast cancer, University alumna Sara O'Brien kept BreastFest alive in Athens until moving to New Jersey in 2002.
ATHENS BREASTFEST
When: Sat., March 21Where: The Taylor Grady House, 634 Prince Avenue
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door and includes admission, entertainment, food, wine and beer, silent auction and raffle
"When [Sara] was in college, she began to read the journal my mother had kept when she was sick and it really touched her," said O'Brien's sister and organizer of the Athens BreastFest, Megan Lewis. "She felt that she needed to do something therapeutic about what she felt so she started BreastFest and now there are also festivals in Baltimore and New Jersey."
Each local BreastFest fundraiser is organized by one of the three sisters who lives in the area. According to Lewis, her sister's move from Athens back home to her native New Jersey caused the Athens BreastFest to diminish and eventually cease to exist entirely.
"BreastFest has been going on for 10 years in Baltimore and New Jersey but the Athens area one kind of fizzled out after my sister moved away," she said. "But, when I moved here with my family in 2006 I really wanted to start it back up again because of my mother's memory and fight and to raise awareness about the disease."
Although raising awareness and funds for St. Mary's Women's Imaging Center is the primary purpose of the event, Lewis describes the atmosphere to be more like a family-friendly "music festival" that will feature local bands who have donated their time to show their support for breast cancer research.
"BreastFest has always had music and been about music, and this year we are going to have just one big venue as opposed to a lot of smaller venues like previous years," music organizer and participating musician Betsy Franck said. "My band [Betsy Franck and the Bare Knuckle Band] will be playing so being part of the music scene has really helped me put together a lineup of really great musicians who are also very gracious and excited about participating in the event."
According to Lewis, last year's BreastFest raised $7,500, and they hope to at least double that number at this year's event.
"We keep trying to grow the event more every year so to be able to donate more money," Lewis said. "I would love for Athens BreastFest to get as big as the one in Baltimore that raised over $100,000 last year and were able to build a new women's center and dedicate it in my mother's name."
"Even though they are a much bigger city, we hope to be able to do that much because it is just so inspiring."
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