If you miss the online deadline, don’t fret! Tickets may still be purchased at the door the night of the event.

For information about our event, be sure to check out our event page.

• Seating for 800 attendants
• Excellent sound system
• Accessible food and drink
• Provided parking

The price of admission to ArtBra includes wine, beer, champagne and an assortment of appetizers from several the area’s best restaurants. The event begins with a silent auction featuring inspirational art of several genres including one of a kind art bras. The fashion show begins at 8:00 and the evening ends with the music of Nervous Rex until 11:00.

• 6:00 to 7:00 Sponsor and Patron Party
• 7:00 to 8:00 General admission and silent auction
• 8:00 to 9:00 Runway show, live auction and brief program
• 9:30 to 11:00 Nervous Rex performs rock music from the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s.

We look forward to seeing you at Art Bra KC 2012!

These Kansas wives and mothers did not meet before they lost their lives to breast cancer in their early 30s. Yet their spirits are forever entwined in a legacy to bring hope, dignity and strength to cancer patients and survivors through this appearance center.

Take a tour of Missy’s Boutique and see the wonderful ways your support helps area cancer patients.

Bring in the Grand Street Flyer and 10 % of your bill will be donated to this uplifting event. (Excludes Happy Hour)

Please invite your family and friends for a wonderful meal and evening of fun! After dinner, don’t forget to stop by Halls/Plaza to view 30 ArtBra’s created by local artists and supporters.

Download the Flyer here!

Grand Street Cafe 4740 Grand Street, KCMO 816.561.8000

In the next few days, we will be sharing their stories. Take a moment to read about Adrienne, Arah, Cheryl and Consuelo. We are so proud to have them as part of our ArtBra family.

]]> http://www.artbrakc.com/2012/introducing-our-2012-artbra-ad-campaign-survivor-models/feed/ 0 http://www.artbrakc.com/2012/cheryls-story/ http://www.artbrakc.com/2012/cheryls-story/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:02:29 +0000 admin http://www.artbrakc.com/?p=727 A self-proclaimed 16-year breast cancer “thriver,” Cheryl so embodies Susan G. Komen’s mission of saving lives and putting an end to breast cancer forever that Founder Nancy G. Brinker recently chose her to receive the prestigious Founder’s Award. Cheryl’s pro bono work since diagnosis has spanned from local initiatives, like serving on the founding board of Komen Kansas City, to serving on the National Komen board to an U.S. Delegate to the first Global Breast Cancer Advocacy Summit in Budapest, Hungry.

Passionately active in breast cancer research advocacy, she currently serves as the chair of the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Breast Cancer Prevention Center’s Board of Advocates; a member of KU’s Biospecimen Shared Resource Internal Advisory Board; a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Director’s Consumer Liaison Group; the advocate representative to NCI’s National Community Cancer Centers Program; a member of Komen’s Advocates in Science program; an advocate reviewer in Komen’s scientific grants review process; and a member of Komen Scholars (an advisory group of 68 distinguished scholars and leaders in breast cancer research and advocacy who have made significant contributions to advancing the field.)

For the past four years, Cheryl has chaired the Advancement Board of the University of Kansas Medical Center and the Kansas University Hospital. This board of leaders in our bi-state region has been a significant force in KU’s quest to become an NCI-designated cancer center.

Cheryl was ArtBraKC’s 2011 Honorary Chair, and still serves on the Executive Committee.

Being positive for the breast cancer gene, my surgeon didn’t want to mess around with lumpectomies. She wanted to remove the breasts. So I did. In August of 2009, at the age of 32, I had my bilateral mastectomy with reconstructive surgery and I had chosen to do it for preventative measures.

Everything was going great until I got an infection that caused my body to reject the expanders. In November of 2009, I noticed a bump forming near the incision line on one of my breasts. It was the expander, attempting to come through the skin. To make a long story short, this happened a couple of times before we got it straightened out and – six or seven surgeries later – here I am. Not quite good as new – but with Dr. Quinn’s help, I will get there.

It has been two years now and did I make the right decision? There are some days I wonder. Wonder if I would ever be complete again. Be a confident woman again. But then I look at my two little daughters and I know they would rather have me around with or without breasts. Along with confidence and courage, I have also found love and acceptance along the way.

I am a survivor and the woman of Art Bra class of 2012 and my family taught me that. I cannot thank them enough.

I went into my OBGYN who immediately sent me to KU Med. That same day I had biopsies on my right side and a mammogram revealing another lump on my left side. The following day I had biopsy on my left side and MRI. When I left the doctor that day he told me to just remember my lymph nodes were clear. He was convinced I had a very aggressive breast cancer. The biopsies were inconclusive and Dr Conner performed a surgical biopsy.

I was diagnosed with bilateral breast desmoid tumors. Desmoid tumors are soft tissue sarcomas, also called aggressive fibromatoses. They are locally aggressive and can grow into and destroy tissue and even bones. They do not, however, have the capacity (they think) to metastasize throughout the body. Hence, some doctors consider desmoid tumors to be benign and not malignant. But regardless of the name, tumor-related destruction of vital structures and/or organs can be fatal.

I have found less than five cases in the world of patients with bilateral breast desmoids. I found amazing support through an online community through The Association of Cancer Online Resources (ACOR). It offers access to a desmoid tumor listserv which provides support, information, and community to everyone affected by desmoid tumors. I soon learned how extremely rare this cancer was. They do not know the cause or have a cure. Had I been at a less experienced hospital or had this condition ten years earlier it could have easily been misdiagnosed as an aggressive breast cancer.

My case was presented to KU Med tumor board to decide how to proceed. Dr. Conner called me the day before my 30th birthday to inform me they recommended a bilateral mastectomy. The mastectomy was performed Sept 2009. In the same surgery, Dr. Korentager planned on cleaning up what we thought was a keloid from a previous skin cancer surgery on my shoulder two years earlier. It turned out to be a third desmoid tumor on my shoulder. My initial surgery was followed by 6 weeks of radiation therapy, minor drug therapy, close monitoring and additional surgery. This type of cancer also has a very high re-occurrence rate. Less than a year later the cancer was back in my shoulder and I underwent additional surgery.

I have learned that you must be your own advocate, especially when you have a rare disease or cancer.

My children were 2 and 4 when I was diagnosed. To them my treatment, surgeries, and continued testing are just a normal part of life. I cherish every moment I have with them and my husband. It was not easy going through this process with small children but they were such an inspiration and made me smile everyday!

After undergoing a double mastectomy and 9 rounds of chemo I realized that I needed to make a difference in the lives of minority women who have been reported as having the highest mortality rate regarding breast cancer. I created an organization called Surviving the Odds which focuses on bringing awareness, resources and education pertaining to breast cancer in minority communities.

Today I am not only a survivor but an overcomer of this disease; as a mother of two children with two very precious grandchildren I would gladly go through it all again if it meant I could make a positive impact on the lives of millions.

My Trial is a testament of all good things to come and I am grateful.

She’s a two time breast cancer survivor.

She continues on with a successful modeling/TV hosting career along with developing a site called n2modeling.com that helps all ages learn about the acting and modeling business.

Sharon dedicates a large amount of time supporting cancer patients. She has volunteered one day a week for the past 12 years at the Bloch Cancer Hotline, along with working on various American Cancer Society and Komen Foundation committees.

This year she is the fashion show coordinator for ArtBra along with serving on the Executive committee. Sharon says she’s blessed to be married to such a supportive man, Jim Hake. She states she is honored to work with such empowered women who will strut down the runway in ArtBra 2012!