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Winners of the bra contest are (from left) Louise Henry for Most Beautiful, Vic Perry for Most Manly and Joey Swafford and friends for Most Outrageous. More than 80 people paraded through downtown to raise awareness for breast cancer. By Tony Wheeler
Staff WriterWhat at first glance appeared to be a transvestite takeover of downtown Franklin on Saturday was in fact just silly fun on one hand, and deadly serious on the other. A courageous group of mostly men were participating in a walk-a-thon to raise funds for Angel Medical Center’s new breast health center. The events on Saturday, July 11, also included a Best Bra contest and were a part of the AMC Foundation’s “Bras for a Cause.” The foundation is the fundraising arm of the hospital. Walkers get a colorful escort from Town Hall as the parade began Saturday. More than 80 people donned bras to participate in the walk-a-thon, which raised money for the new high-tech breast health center at Angel Medical Center in Franklin. The walkers lined up outside at Town Hall and were each wearing what was advertised as an “artfully-decorated” bra. Most wore them outside their regular clothing, though a few brave souls went otherwise bare-chested. A few really brave souls took it all the way and dressed entirely as women. Jokes abounded throughout the day. Many men said it was the only day they could legally wear a bra outside the privacy of their own homes, and a woman walker wearing an enormous bra said it was the only time in her life where people stared at her chest instead of looking her in the eyes.The parade of bras went through downtown and turned at the gazebo, where a crowd had gathered for festivities following the parade. From there, the walkers went to and through the hospital, passed an “artful bra” display there, and proceeded back to the gazebo for more events. [click here for the full photo gallery] Lyman and Betty Lance were there. Both are breast cancer survivors – Lyman one year and Betty, five. He said he would do anything to get the word out that men get breast cancer, too. Lyman lost his left breast to the disease and Betty lost her right, but the couple didn’t lose their sense of humor. “I lost one, he lost one, but together we’ve got a good pair,” Betty said.“We are so pleased with Angel Medical Center, it’s the best place we could’ve been,” Lyman said. “As far as I know, I’m the only male survivor in the area. I wish men would go out and get checked, it can happen to anyone,” he said. He said he noticed a drop of blood on his T-shirt and went to his doctor here to have it checked out. “Doc got the ball rolling and discovered I had breast cancer,” he said. In a rare twist of events, Lyman started a Facebook page so he could get caught up with friends he’d lost contact with. On the page he urges men to get checked for the disease and shares his experience with breast cancer. At the urging, a friend did indeed get checked and discovered he had the disease. “Men just don’t think about it,” said Betty.Franklin High School principal Gary Shields marched in the bra parade, and, like most of the men, said he was at first a little uncomfortable looking so silly. “But you have to work through the personal side of this for the cause. Cancer is a continuous fight, and if there’s anything we can do to help fight it, I’m in line.” Jim VanderWoude of the Whistle Stop Mall echoed the sentiment. “It’s a great cause and I’m happy to help, even if we do look stupid,” he said. Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland was also among the 80-or-so courageous folks who marched for the cause. “It’s a worthwhile cause and I felt like I had to do this,” he said. “I have a staff member who is fighting the disease right now. Today we are honoring those who have fought before, those who will begin fighting tomorrow, and those who will fight in the future.”The idea for the fund raiser came about when the Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild found that a guild in Columbia, S.C. was sending an “artful bra” display around their state. “We worked with them and brought the display to Franklin, but didn’t know where to exhibit it. That’s when the hospital got involved and things snowballed from there,” said Sarah Sanford of the SMQG. “This turned into something great and wonderful, much bigger than we could comprehend. I am a survivor, too, so it means a lot to me to have that kind of equipment here in Franklin,” she said. Eighty-five participants were in the bra judging contest sponsored by the Streets of Franklin Merchants Association. Louise Henry won the award for most beautiful, Joel Swafford won the award for the most outrageous, and Vic Perry won the award for the most manly bra. Many members of the Streets of Franklin Merchants Association displayed bras in the windows of their establishments for the past few weeks. Patrons voted for their favorite bra and the winner was the Floral Bouquets bra designed by Silver Threads and Golden Needles. The employees of Angel Medical Center also had a contest where they submitted decorated bras and were able to raise $875 by voting for their favorite bra. The winning bras from AMC were Man’s Best Friends created by Gay Todsen that won first place. Bosom Buddies was created by Tonda Woodard, Carrie Manning, Zee Woods, Melissa Frazier, Maria Franklin and Lori Strickland took second place. The third place bra was Back in the Saddle Cowboy bra worn by Pat Patton and created by Linda Stockwell and Environmental Services. All Day Suckers created by Julia Briggs captured fourth place, and Keep Cancer in Your Sights created by Maureen Laird came in at fifth place.Bea Sanford, executive director for the AMC Foundation, said $24,449.33 was raised from Bras for a Cause. The funds will go toward a new breast health center which, when completed, will be a center of excellence for breast health. “This center will use the most advanced technology available to aid in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. The acquisition of the Hologic digital mammography system last July has dramatically increased the number of mammograms we are providing to the residents and visitors of Macon and surrounding counties. As a result of the increased number of screenings, we are discovering more of our patients with an abnormal appearing area that, in some cases, indicates breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will get breast cancer, however, when breast cancer is detected and treated in the earliest stages, the five-year survival rates approach 100 percent; therefore, we are emphasizing the importance of an annual mammogram to those at risk,” she said. “Our team of breast imaging specialists is trained to provide our patients with an unparalleled experience when they come to Angel Medical Center for their health care needs. We plan to renovate the existing radiology area to increase the size of the waiting room that will include easily accessible restroom facilities. Additionally, for those who may require a biopsy, the Hologic stereotactic breast biopsy system is designed to produce superior clinical results while making the procedure as comfortable as possible. Our patients will no longer experience the anxiety associated with the wait for the mobile unit to come to our hospital. Our patients will receive unsurpassed care and comfort in our breast health center,” Sanford said. |
