Chambers Construction is known for building impressive projects, from the Hyatt Place Eugene hotel and Ninkasi’s administration building to Western Beverage’s distribution center and the Pete Moore Hospice House. The company’s employees are also proving themselves to be mighty fine bra builders.
Chambers Construction is one of more than a dozen businesses displaying colorful bras they created as part of the Bras for Cause annual fundraiser to support Lane County cancer patients through Oregon Cancer Foundation (OCF).
“Everyone has their own story of how cancer has affected their life,” says Cassandra Dare, a project engineer for Chamber Construction who lost four relatives to cancer in a span of 12 years. “Seeing what cancer does to people and knowing the financial impact of the disease, participating in Bras for Cause gives us a way to help.”
Chambers has created two Bras for Cause entries—”Screw Cancer” and “Save the Hooters“— to raise money for OCF and to provide a fun team-vs-team competition within the company. In addition, employees are raffling off prizes, including a $50 iTunes gift card, a gift basket of goodies from Dutch Bros., and several gift boxes of wine. Raffle tickets are $2 each, three tickets for $5, or 7 tickets for $10 and can be purchased at Chambers Construction’s main office on Judkins Road in Eugene.
“What drew me to the foundation is that it’s local,” says company president and OCF board member Dave Bakke. “I like knowing that the money raised locally helps people locally.”
Dave is a survivor of melanoma. He was able to work during his treatment, but he knows that many patients are sidelined from their jobs, creating financial hardship for individuals and families. “A cancer diagnosis hits you so hard and so fast—you don’t know what to think. The foundation is there to help make that time in your life a little less stressful.”
This year’s Bras for Cause goal is to raise $100,000 to support OCF’s Financial Assistance Program, which helps patients with real, in-the-moment needs, like buying groceries or paying utility bills or rent.
Creativity for a Cause
This year, more than a dozen area businesses have built bras and are raising funds to support Oregon Cancer Foundation throughout the month of October. View these bras online at brasforcause.org, or see them in person at these locations:
- Northwest Surgical Specialists Breast Care Team: “Girls on Fire“
- Oregon Imaging Centers: “Save a Rack“
- McKenzie Commercial: “Bedazzled Boobies“
- Pacific Women’s Center: “Cancer Succs“
- Timber Products Company: “Hoo…Would Believe?“
- First Interstate Bank: “Save the Sea Cups” (Eugene branch), “Bucks for Boobies” (Springfield branch)
- Turell Group: “TG’s Turtlely Awesome Bra“
- The Body Shop: “Love Your Body Bra“
- Jewell Medical Spa: “Team Approach Saves Lives“
- KMTR-TV: “Perky Peacocks“
- Chambers Construction: “Screw Cancer” and “Save the Hooters“
View in person, along with individual bra entries, at Dandelions Flowers & Gifts:
McDonald Wholesale: “Cheers to Stomping Out Cancer”
Willamette Valley Cancer Institute: “Waves of Recovery”
295 Tactical: “You Got This”
“Over the last several years, we have had more and more businesses get involved with Bras for Cause, which has been fantastic. It’s a win-win for organizations and nonprofits, alike, when businesses support the organizations that matter to them and their employees,” says OCF executive director Amy Johnston. “Our business partners have contributed significantly to our overall fundraising efforts, which, in turn, allows us to serve more patients and expand our programs. We live in an incredibly generous community, and it’s wonderful to see so many area businesses give back and get involved in local fundraising efforts.”
Join the celebration
Have you voted for your favorite bra? $1 = 1 vote and voting runs through Oct. 31 at brasforcause.org. All proceeds raised benefit patients through OCF’s Financial Assistance Program.
