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‘Bras For A Cause’ to be held April 12 in Hedrick
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HEDRICK – Residents will have an opportunity to raise money for breast cancer research in a playful way in the 12th “Bras For A Cause” to be held Saturday, April 12 in Hedrick.
The event, which is a free will donation, will run from 4:30-9 p.m. at the Carl Craft Civic Center. It will include dinner at 4:30 p.m. courtesy of Bubba Q’s in Ottumwa, a live bra auction at 6 p.m., and a silent auction that runs all night.
The theme of this fundraiser is to get the public to decorate bras, which are then sold at auction. But that’s not all. Members of the Hedrick Volunteer Fire Department don the bras and model them on the runway.
Bras For A Cause is the brainchild of Laurie Hornback, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. A few years later, Hornback was looking for a way to draw attention to breast cancer and raise money for research, and that’s when she hit upon the idea of starting a fundraiser with a bra theme. The first Bras For A Cause was in 2011 and it raised about $4,000.
“We were thrilled to death and thought, ‘This could really work!’” she said.
Hornback has kept the event fresh by updating it with new ideas, such as changing it from a soup supper to pork loin dinner and now catered by a barbecue restaurant. The silent auction was added seven years ago, and Hornback said community members have been generous in donating baked goods, auction items and their time.
Hornback did have to take one year off from the event when she was diagnosed with breast cancer again in 2015, leading to a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. But Hornback was back in action to lead the event in 2016, and that year drew a huge crowd. The event had to be postponed in 2020 due to COVID, but when it returned in 2021, it generated $27,000. Hornback said Bras For A Cause has raised $206,000 in its 11-year history.
“I’ve decided to keep all the funds local, so for the last several years we’ve donated to River Hills Clinic in Ottumwa,” Hornback said. “They have a really good mammogram program for people who don’t have insurance or are under-insured. I’ve also donated money to Mahaska Health Partnership for their cancer program.”
In addition to these cancer programs, Hornback also distributes some of the funds to local people going through cancer treatment, such as paying for their gas or utilities.
For those planning to attend the event, Hornback is hoping they will decorate a bra to donate, so the firefighters have something pretty to model.
“They can decorate them however they want, whether they have a theme or just bling them up,” she said.
The last Bras For A Cause was held in 2023 and raised $30,000, and Hornback would love to match that amount again in 2025.
Those who plan to bring a bra to the event can drop it off with Hornback ahead of time. She can be reached at 641-777-4252.
