By Christina Annunziata
What an opportunity it was to be a part of an amazing event like the Barbells for Boobs Pink Bra Tour this year. After months of preparation, it all came together on October 11th.
After work the day before the event, I raced to the gym to meet a number of our members and begin decorating and setting up the equipment for the day ahead. Within minutes, there was pink everywhere at CFD! Erica called me in the midst of set up to let me know that she and Chris would be arriving shortly- the Pink Bra Tour was actually arriving!! When they pulled up with the Boob Cube, I felt like a kid at Christmas. We had been communicating with the BFB Crew for over a year and I was so excited to finally meet the people behind the cause! They were just as awesome as I had thought they’d be! Erica and Chris dropped off some equipment and left to check-in to their hotel and meet the rest of the crew, while we finished set up.
Some of us met up with the Erica, Chris and the rest of the BFB team later that night to grab a bite to eat. It was so cool to sit and chat, and get to know the team a little bit better and the story of how they all got involved with Barbells for Boobs. What an incredible group of individuals they all are, so dedicated and inspiring! While at dinner, we got to talking to our waitress. Through conversation of why we were all there, we found out that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 30 and was currently fighting the battle. She shared a little bit of her story with us; a young woman, working hard, struggling with her diagnosis and a means to pay for the treatment she needs. Wow, that really drove it home for me- this is what it’s all about. We invited her to our event and encouraged her to bring friends and family. What a woman of strength! This year all of the funds we raise go directly to men and women in our local communities of Connecticut, just like the sweet waitress that hung out and spoke with us at dinner that night. We are truly making a difference in other’s lives.
The day of the event went by so fast, but was amazing! Z opened up the day by telling us story, her best friend’s story and how Barbells for Boobs all started. We had a local mother, business owner and friend share her story as a survivor of breast cancer and what this event meant to her. It was all so moving. The amount of people that came to celebrate the strength and raise awareness for those affected by breast cancer was incredible! It still leaves me speechless. Other gyms, businesses and people in our surrounding communities participated. If they didn’t do the workout, they came to support, volunteered, donated raffles, prizes, and time to our event.
I could never say enough thank you’s to the community of people that have come together to fundraise and bring awareness to breast cancer and who helped make our event such a huge success! It’s an awesome feeling to know that each and every person that has helped in our fundraising has touched the lives of at least 140 individuals, families, friends, and neighbors in our local community. You all have given someone the right to know!
“Barbells for Boobs is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the early detection of breast cancer, with an emphasis on women and men under the age of 40. “ If you haven’t had the chance to get involved in this cause, I absolutely recommend it! An incredible cause that brings hundreds of communities together for the greater good. Together we can make a difference!