Chain of bras down Signal Hill is all about support — for cancer patients
What do you do once you've taken all the bras off a moose? You string a chain of them down Signal Hill, of course.
At least that's what Dana Metcalfe of WINK — Women In Networking Kindness — decided after a successful fundraising effort for breast cancer patients that involved draping brassieres over a moose statue in Donovan's Industrial Park in Mount Pearl.
"We ended up with, like, garbage bags full of bras," Metcalfe told The St. John's Morning Show. "We were like, well, what else can we do with these bras so that they would be of good use, they would create some awareness and somebody would benefit?"
She figured there's no better place to send a message than at the site of the first trans-Atlantic radio signal.
Over 900 metres of bras
WINK is partnering with another local group, Sunshine Squad, to create a chain of 1,500 bras that will wind its way down the Signal Hill sidewalk Feb. 10 in an effort to raise awareness of — and money to fight — breast cancer.
"That will get us down the bulk of the hill," she said. "We want to have a good presence. We want people to know that our community actually cares and wants to support them."
The average bra is about two feet long, she said, so that 1,500-bra chain will be just over 900 metres long.
So far, the team has collected abut 500 metres' worth of bras to zip-tie together for the big day.
They're looking for volunteers to donate bras and to come out to Signal Hill and help hold up the chain.
People can also sponsor bras for $10, and their money will go toward hospital lunch gift cards for people doing long stays for cancer treatment.
Even heroes need help
WINK may be best known for their Breastless and Beautiful calendar, which features empowering professional pictures of breast cancer survivors. Lately, the group has been recruiting first responders who have gone through cancer and taking photos of them for their social media sites.
It's a way to let people know that even heroes need support when they're fighting the disease, no matter what kind of cancer it is, and to encourage sales of the calendar, proceeds of which go to the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre in St. John's.
RCMP officer Christopher Jones in Happy Valley-Goose Bay posed with Susan Ralph, one the Breastless and Beautiful models. It was an experience he calls "very inspiring."
Jones was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer in December 2017, which moved to his liver. After a few rounds of both surgery and chemotherapy, he got a clean bill of health in October.
"It was almost like getting hit by a truck," he said.
Living in Labrador, he had to travel for treatment, and that can be expensive for some people, he said. A lot of people also have to keep working as they go through treatment.
"To have to worry about bills and that stuff as well is really stressful," he said. "So when I saw the opportunity to be able to help raise money to help other people who may not have the benefits that I do, I thought it was a good idea."
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