By Kristyn Campbell
President of BFFofCC
On Oct. 10, Breast Friends Forever of Champaign County (BFofCC) will present our 27th annual Gala. It has been known as the Fashion to a Tea for the last 26 years.
This year, we are renaming it the “Gallery of Hope.” Our models are local breast cancer survivors and for the last several years some are uncomfortable with the term model, so our models coordinator, Penny Underwood, came up with a great alternative that our group has taken to heart: the “Gallery of Hope.”
That is what breast cancer survivors represent. They represent hope to anyone diagnosed with this disease. This is also part of our mission that we want to educate, embrace, encourage, and empower all who are at risk for breast cancer. We want to be that friend who will be there for our community in their time of need. This is why we do what we do. We thank all of our 2024 Gallery of Hope: Ce Greene, Dorothy Weaver McGillivray, Julie Jenkins, Jane McKeever, Cheryl McAlexander, Anna May Schultz and Sharon Pence.
A glance at the evening: doors open at 5 p.m. with social hour, 6:15 dinner (provided by Carmae Catering, Springfield), 7 p.m. Speaker and Gallery of Hope; 7:45 p.m. live auction.
Social hour is where you can bid on our auction items and participate in our raffles along with trying some wonderful wines from Dragonfly Vineyard & Wine Cellar. Again this year, Dragonfly has graciously let us put a Breast Friends Forever of Champaign County label on their Happy Wine to use as our signature wine for the event.
We have 11 amazing live auction items: Tom Minutolo Canvas Prints which are 24” by 36” (“Wildflowers in the Morning Light” and “An Eagle in Flight”); Cindy Oelker’s Peanut Butter & Coconut Creme pies; Pink Pedal Tractor & Wagon; Cherry Bookcase crafted by Eli Underwood; Custom Memory quilt or T-Shirt Harley Quilt; Bourbon Basket; Pamper Me packages; Whole Hog; Family Airplane Adventure; OSU stained Glass Block “O” and Tailgate Basket; and finally 2 tickets to The Ohio State University vs Purdue Football game with sideline access during halftime and sitting with the OSU Marching Band. Please see the full list of details by visiting our website.
Eagles Breed Brotherhood has taken a significant part in the event this year with showcasing their bikes outside the 4-H building during our event, greeting our guests with their friendly personalities, serving as wine runners, and cleaning up at the end. Thank you to all of them.
If you are not registered with a table sponsor or hostess, please register by visiting our website. We look forward to a fun and rewarding evening with all of our guests.
Thank you to all of our sponsors. Beacon of Light ($1,000+): Mercy Health – Urbana, Tammy & Victoria, Berry Digital Solutions, Greene’s Warriors, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, Urbana Veterinary Clinic, Trustwell Urbana Place, Cancer Association of Champaign County, Wreck-A-Mended Collision Center, Dragonfly Vineyard & Wine Cellars. Spotlight of Hope ($500-$999): Mixx 165, Sircle Health & Wellness, Concord United Methodist Church, Curt & Theresa Witeby, Steve & Valerie Smith, Dayton Physicians Network, The Dyer Family, Your Hometown Techs, Your Hometown Productions, Mechanicsburg United Methodist Church-Women of Faith, Katterhenry Investment Group of NEST Capital, NTC Metal Works, Rick McMaken-Key Realty, London Dental Care, Ohio Valley Surgical Center, Dave Kehl Chevrolet, The Cassady Family, American Legion #238, The Fetter Family, K Family Concessions & Catering. Lantern of Hope: Judge Brett Gilbert, Blanche, Hemisphere Coffee Roasters, IH Credit Union, Jay & Penny Underwood, Truman & Kate Johnson, Park National Bank, V. Patrick Hamilton Group-REMAX Realtors, Levine Realty Company, Civista Bank, Eagles Brotherhood M.C., Julie Jenkins, Lily’s Garden, Pink Mamalas, TC Warriors, King Law Office LPA LLC. & Cathy J. Weithman, Community of Urbana, Ron Burns State Farm Insurance
Date: Oct. 10, 2024
Where: Champaign County Fairgrounds, 4-H building
Time: 5-8:30 p.m.
For more info visit our website: breastfriendsforeverofcc.org.
Submitted by event organizers
