Whimsical Bras Auctioned for a Serious Cause

The concept is simple, said Stacy Quarty, the president and co-founder of Lucia’s Angels of Southampton. To draw attention to breast cancer, draw attention to breasts.

Add a big dose of fun and a boatload of creativity and you have , a fundraising fashion show and live auction to benefit local organizations helping those afflicted with cancer.

The event features a fashion show of unique and sometimes wacky bras made by artists, cancer survivors, clothing designers and those moved by the plight of cancer patients, said Susan Barry Roden, president of The Coalition for Women’s Cancers at .

Each model will have an escort along the catwalk, including Southampton Hospital doctors. The live auction, raffle and plenty of time for mingling make it a fun fundraiser, Roden said.

She said costumes for all of the volunteer models are well-planned to make the best impression and set off the bra designs. During last year’s auction — the first fundraising bra event for Heaven Can Wait, a team that walks for breast cancer — every bra sold. Twenty-six bras will be auctioned this year.

“It's fun for a serious cause,” Roden said.

The bras are more art than functional. Their designs often have personal meanings and conjure stories for those making them, Roden said. Materials can include feathers, googly eyes, butterfly appliqués, beads, plastic flowers, shells and more. This year, there’s a bra made of metal by a sculptor known as Cruz.

The bras can sport clever names including “Honey, I’m Up Here,” “Breasts of a Feather,” “Uplifting” and “Coffee, Tea or Me?”

“You put a lot of fun into it and you get a lot of enthusiasm,” Quarty said.

Many of the bras are on display in the window of on Main Street in Southampton Village for an auction preview. They will remain there until the auction. The window display was designed by Tom and Pat Kochie of Southampton. Each contributed a bra for this year and last year’s auction.

Bras can also be seen in Southampton at The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Southampton Hospital, The Southampton Publick House, Therapy Clothing and the office of Lucia’s Angels.

The Reconstructed Bra event is one way the Heaven Can Wait walking team is garnering donations for area charities. Donations are required by each participant in the LI2DAY Walk for Breast Cancer held on June 11 and June 12 in Suffolk County parks in Shirley and Yaphank.

Participants walk 35 miles in two days, according to the event website. The Heaven Can Wait team regularly walks together to train for the event, Roden said. This is the third year the team is participating, Roden said.

Each walker in the LI2DAY Walk for Breast Cancer raises money for a charity of their choice, according to a LI2DAY brochure.

Money raised by Heaven Can Wait will benefit the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center, The Coalition for Women’s Cancers at Southampton Hospital and Lucia’s Angels.

Each walker guarantees a donation of at least $1,000, explained Roden. The Heaven Can Wait team pools its donation requirements to make it easy for everyone to participate who wants to, she said.

The Reconstructed Bra Fashion Show & Auction is the group’s largest fundraiser, Roden said. Other fundraisers include bingo, a yarn and yard sale, a car wash and a Zumba class, among other events.

This year’s goal is to raise $100,000, Roden said. Last year, the team raised $68,000, she said.

The main project for this year’s donations is the proposed Lucia’s Room at Southampton Hospital. Plans call to convert an existing hospital room to one tailored to create a “Comfort and Caring Room” designed for those at the end of life or undergoing “difficult surgeries. Around $150,000 will be needed for the renovation, Quarty said.

will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. at . Advance tickets are $40 and include wine, beer and appetizers. Tickets at the door, if available, are $45.

Tickets for The Reconstructed Bra Fashion Show & Auction can be purchased at , The Southampton Publick House and the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Southampton Hospital. For information, call Susan Roden at 631-726-8715 or email Stacy Quarty at stacy@luciasangels.org.