Circle of hands holding a oink breast cancer ribbon.

Ashe Memorial Hospital to host High Country Bras fundraiser

JEFFERSON, N.C. — Ashe Memorial Hospital will host High Country Bras, a fundraising event, on Saturday, April 27, at Jefferson Landing Club.

The event, which will be held from 6-9 p.m., is designed to promote the importance of breast cancer screenings while raising money for the Ashe Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Women in Touch Fund. Through the generosity of Ashe County donors, the Women in Touch Fund helps pay for screening mammograms for uninsured women who reside in Ashe County.

“Most of us have had a friend or relative affected by breast cancer,” said Ashe Memorial Hospital imaging director Patty Mininni. “Here at Ashe Memorial Hospital, we support the health of our community by offering the latest technology in breast imaging, such as 3D mammography and breast MRI. By supporting the Women in Touch Fund, you are affecting the health and possibly saving a life of friends and neighbors in our community.”

During the fundraising event, guests will enjoy dinner, an art bra fashion show and an auction. Tickets for the event are $75 per person or $800 to sponsor a table of eight and are available for purchase online at ashememorial.org or by calling 336-846-0785.

Purchase your ticket here

As part of the event, the hospital is asking local artists, crafters, businesses, organizations and community members to create works of art using a bra as their canvas. Those interested in creating a bra may do so for a $20 donation. Artists are encouraged to use their creativity when making their masterpieces.

The bras will be displayed in the hospital the week leading up to High Country Bras. Team members and the community will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite bras and the winners will be announced during the fundraiser. All entries will be entered into a raffle for two tickets to the event.

Breast cancer survivors will be modeling the decorative bras over a plain black dress or T-shirt during the fashion show portion of the event. The designs will be auctioned off with proceeds benefitting the Women in Touch Fund. If you’re interested in modeling and sharing your story, please contact the AMH Foundation at AMHFoundation@ashememorial.org.

“As a cancer patient, I have benefited twice from the funds donated to cancer foundations,” nurse navigator and manager Dawn Johnson, who also is a breast cancer survivor, said. “I know first-hand the feeling of immense relief when you are informed that your case has been accepted to receive funds. I remember the experience of spilling happy tears knowing that you have not been forgotten and you will now receive help with the much needed treatment and/or prosthetics that will make you feel like a woman again.”

Mammograms are among the most powerful breast cancer detection tools available, and over the past five years, Ashe Memorial Hospital has performed more than 12,000 mammograms for local residents. One in eight women in the United States are at risk for developing breast cancer; and in 2023, an estimated 297,790 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most common cancer among women in the United States.

Every two minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with the disease. However, there is hope. When caught in its earliest, localized stages, the five-year survival rate is 99%.

“We all know the importance of mammography screening,” Johnson said. “However, the cancer journey does not end there; for some women that is where the journey begins. Knowing that help could be available along the way toward survivorship makes the road a little more tolerable.”

In May 2023, Ashe Memorial Hospital unveiled its new state-of-the-art 3D mammography equipment, which is designed to provide high-quality 3D images while creating a more comfortable mammography experience for the patient. With the addition of the new technology, patients are now able to receive 3D mammograms, stereotactic breast biopsies and breast MRIs close to home.

For more information on High Country Bras and to RSVP, visit ashememorial.org or contact the Ashe Memorial Hospital Foundation at AMHFoundation@ashememorial.org or 336-846-0785.

About Ashe Memorial Hospital
For more than 80 years, Ashe Memorial Hospital’s dedicated team of board certified physicians, nurses and staff members have provided the highest quality medical care available to the people of Ashe County and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Ashe Memorial Hospital offers a wide variety of emergency, elective, rehabilitation and preventative health services.

Founded in 1941, Ashe Memorial Hospital is a fully accredited 25 bed critical hospital located in Jefferson, N.C. For more information, please visit ashememorial.org or call 336-846-7101.