Boobs 'n' Beer raises $10,000
— Photo by MARY MALONE 7B Women presented a check to Community Cancer Services for $5,000 garnered by proceeds from October's Boobs 'N Beer event. Another check for $5,000 was presented to Celebrate Life. From top left, Gina Hall of Alliance Title and Escrow and 7B Women; Sherri Lies of Mary Kay and 7B Women; Jenn Markwardt of Sandpoint Title Insurance and 7B Women; Alice Sloane of Wildwood Grilling and 7B Women; Jesse Wurm of 7B Women; Kim Dierks of Columbia Bank and 7B Women; and Yarrow Frank of Alpenglow Business and Personal Services and 7B Women. From bottom left, Jennifer Cornett …
— Photo by MARY MALONE 7B Women presented a check to Celebrate Life for $5,000 garnered by proceeds from October's Boobs 'N Beer event. Another check for $5,000 was presented to Community Cancer Services. From left, Gina Hall of Alliance Title and Escrow and 7B Women; Sherri Lies of Mary Kay and 7B Women; Cindy Kopsa of Celebrate Life; Jenn Markwardt of Sandpoint Title Insurance and 7B Women; Alice Sloane of Wildwood Grilling and 7B Women; Jesse Wurm of 7B Women; Yarrow Frank of Alpenglow Business and Personal Services and 7B Women; Kari Saccomanno of Celebrate Life; and Kim Dierks of C…
SANDPOINT — The efforts by 7B Women to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October with a combination of boobs and beer paid off Tuesday as the group presented $5,000 each to Community Cancer Services and Celebrate Life.
The 7B Women, a committee of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, hosted the "Boobs 'N Beer" event on Oct. 2, which included a 5K fun run followed by an Oktoberfest celebration afterward at MickDuff's Beer Hall.
About 275 men, women and children, many dressed in pink representing the signature color for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, hit the Sand Creek Trail at Sandpoint City Beach in support of the event's purpose. Along with all the individual support, the event garnered more than 20 community sponsors, as well as several corporate-level sponsors, including Selle Valley Construction, Idaho Forest Group, North Idaho Flood and Fire, Washington Trust, Ponderay Insurance and Sandpoint Title Insurance.
In a statement released Tuesday, Jenn Markwardt of Sandpoint Title Insurance and 7B Women member who helped coordinate the event, said the committee could not have asked for a better response for the community and event sponsors.
"The generous support of so many local businesses coupled with the enthusiasm of all of our runners made for an amazing day and an even more result for our two beneficiaries," she said in the statement. "Our initial goal was to raise $4,000 in the first year — to have raised over $10,000 really speaks to the extreme generosity of our community and to the amazing work both CCS and Celebrate Life do for those affected by cancer in our community."
According to breastcancer.org, one in eight women, or 12 percent of the population, will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. CCS and Celebrate Life are two local organizations that assist those diagnosed with cancer and their families by providing access to resources and assistance programs.
"We are grateful for every dollar we get," Cindy Marx, vice president of the CCS board, said in the statement. "This money all goes to people of Bonner and Boundary County (who) have come to us seeking help. The only prerequisite for receiving help from us is that they have to prove a cancer diagnosis. No one plans or budgets for a cancer diagnosis."
The mission of 7B Women includes supporting women in business and providing education and networking resources, as well as a philanthropic obligation to the community.
Each year the committee hosts two signature events, and "Boobs 'N Beer" was this year's second event.
The committee coordinates a monthly luncheon at Tango Cafe in the Columbia Bank building in Sandpoint, as well as an annual conference in November.
The theme of this year's event scheduled for Nov. 15 is "A Day of Inspiration" and will feature speakers from North Idaho College on topics of balance and health in the professional and personal lives of women.