About Us
Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives impacted by breast cancer and bring awareness through our efforts.
Who We Are
Team Breast Friends was founded by a group of Corridor women in 2008 to raise awareness about breast cancer and to help those affected by the disease. Since then, the group has grown significantly and so has its impact, with $500K raised and donated to support local women and men going through breast cancer treatment, and to aid local families hit hard by the enormous cost of medical care.
Team Breast Friends is a registered 501(c)(3) that hosts several annual fund-raising events: the 5k Rack Run, held in October, the Drive Away Breast Cancer Golf Outing, held in April, and the Plants for the Cure vendor market, held in May.
We invite anyone who wishes to raise awareness about breast cancer or support our efforts through financial or in-kind support to join us!
Our Timeline
2008
The founding ladies recruited 9 new people and formed the Iowa City Hope Team. Iowa City Hope held a wine tasting party with door prizes, community nights at a local restaurant and started their 1st vendor sale with a live auction of donated items from the community to raise the dollars needed to participate in a larger difference.
The team trained and participated for the first time in this spectacular live-changing fundraising event in Chicago, Illinios.
2009
Iowa City Hope continued raising dollars for research, education and awareness and walked in the 3 day event in Minneapolis, Minnesota again.
2010
Iowa City Hope changed their name to Breast Friends.
Additional members joined and participated with Breast Friends for 3 days in Phoenix, Arizona.
2011
Breast Friends walked for 3 days in Dallas, Texas.
2012
Breast Friends walked the streets and raised awareness in Chicago.
2013
Breast Friends returned to Minneapolis with a few new members for the 3 day event in August.
2014
Breast Friends switched gears to the Avon 2 day / 39 mile walk in Chicago. Breast Friends stepped up their fundraising efforts for the Johnson County area by completing the necessary steps to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and changed their legal name to TEAM BREAST FRIENDS. Team Breast Friends had made the decision to have all monies raised remain in the community here to assist those in financial need and provide mammograms for those without insurance.
Team Breast Friends mission statement was recorded as follows:
“Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives impacted by breast cancer and bring awareness through our efforts.”
Our mission would be impossible without our supporters in the community!
We started small, but together we have raised just over $300,000 since the conception of Iowa City Hope and now Team Breast Friends today. Together let’s find a cure for breast cancer and assist as many as we can in our community along the way.
2015
After a successful 2014, we added the 5k Rack Run to the list of annual events where we raise funds to assist those in the community who are affected by breast cancer.
We also awarded Mercy Hospital Mammography Suite in Iowa City $5,250 for patients who need diagnostic treatment for underinsured patients, and distributed $600 of gas cards to patients to cover fuel expenses for traveling and commuting to treatment.
2016
We grew our team by several new breast friends, bringing our board member total to 18.
Another big accomplishment was increasing the award amount to Mercy Mammography hospital to $10,000 for patients, almost double!
We were also able to provide $2,400 in direct financial assistance to individuals.
2017
We established a fund at the University of Iowa Foundation for breast cancer research at UIHC’s breast cancer department with Dr. Lillian Erdahl as our liaison.
We awarded individual grants totaling $2,000, and $5,000 to the Helen G Nassif Community Cancer Care.
2018
We held a golf outing and Plants for the Cure with much success! Together those 2 events have raised an incredible $15,000 which aided those in the community impacted by breast cancer.
We were excited to increase award amounts substantially with:
- $20,000 to the UIHC breast cancer department
- $15,000 to Mercy Hospital Helen G Nassif Community Cancer Center
- $8,430 to individuals in need of financial assistance
2019
A big accomplishment in 2019 was awarding over $25,000 total to Mercy Hospital in Iowa City ($10,000 for the Mammography Suite), the Helen G Nassif Community Cancer Care Center in Cedar Rapids ($10,000 for comfort garments, education materials, and fitness classes for the patients and their caregivers), and individual awards to patients in the treatment corridor ($5,715). This year we also awarded UIHC $5,000.
2020
Despite challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we were able to present a check to UIHC for $25,000, present Mercy Hospital $10,000, Helen G Nassif Community Cancer Center $10,000, and $4,000 in individual grants.
2021
In 2021 we were excited to award Mercy Hospital and Helen G Nassif Community Cancer Center each $10,000 and award $6,395 in individual grants to fight breast cancer.