Bra Couture KC: Celebrating Survivors

Miracles really do happen, especially in Kansas City.

Bra Couture KC will celebrate ten years plus one (due to COVID) on October 1, 2021, at their annual event, Celebrating Diamonds, at Signature Hangar at the Downtown Kansas City Airport. At launch in 2010, 420 tickets were sold and $90,000 raised. In 2019, we sold out at 1,500 and $450,000 was raised.

The miracle of Bra Couture KC is that in the past ten years the generosity of Kansas City has exceeded our expectations for the organization and its cause; close to $3M has been donated, and the effectiveness of those funds has created many miracles for underserved cancer patients.

Bra Couture KC, or BCKC, is the only non-profit in Kansas City that has built two cancer service centers physically located within area hospitals, with a third one opening soon. 

BCKC funds two Patients in Need Funds at the University of Kansas Cancer Center, the annual free mammogram program at Samuel U. Rodgers and services at Cancer Action, and it holds 200 free mammograms each year for women in underserved communities with Imaging for Women. 

BCKC was sustained during the pandemic by the generosity of sponsors who allowed their annual sponsorship funds to stay to ensure vital services were available.

BCKC established a partnership with Kansas City Corporate Challenge and added a new recipient, Liberty Hospital Breast Care Center. Bra Couture KC donations provided care for over 10,800 cancer patients in the past 11 years.

BCKC services can be seen at bracouturekc.com and include payment of rent, utilities, food and gas cards for those too ill to work. Funds support patients at or 200 percent below the federal poverty level.

A miracle happens on the runway when cancer survivors walk in one-of-a-kind couture costumes to celebrate their survival with friends and family. This has been a life-changing experience for many survivors who feel beautiful and strong, aware of the courage and strength required to fight and win the cancer battle.

So, you see, miracles really do happen in Kansas City. You, the patrons, future patrons, sponsors, models, volunteers and in-kind donors are the real miracles. ■

Join in at bracouturekc.com.