Contact:
Christine Lessard
Arizona Institute for Breast Health
480-860-4200
chris@aibh.org
WOMEN'S TORSO CASTS TO BE PAINTED BY CELEBRITY ARTISTS AND AUCTIONED OFF FOR BREAST CANCER FUNDRAISER
Arizona Institute for Breast Health will receive proceeds from October traveling art auction
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scottsdale, Ariz. - June 17, 2004 - Celebrity artists will paint plaster casts of women's torsos to be auctioned off in Phoenix this October to raise money for the Scottsdale-based Arizona Institute for Breast Health (the Institute). The fourth annual
MODART Keep A Breast art benefit and auction, which highlights local and national artists' original creations, will help raise money to provide women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer with a free second opinion about treatment options.
More than thirty Valley women, including breast cancer survivors and members of the Institute's board, volunteered in April to be models for the plaster molds. Local and national artists will customize and decorate the torso molds for the Saturday, October 9 auction at the Phoenix Art Museum from 7 to 10 p.m.
"It's a wonderful idea to help raise money for breast cancer awareness and bring together local artists, patrons, and those impacted by the disease," said Mary Purkiss, the Institute's President and a four-year breast cancer survivor. "Previous
MODART Keep A Breast events have raised significant amounts for their communities, and we are excited to be part of this endeavor to help increase breast cancer awareness in Phoenix. Through the money raised, the Institute can provide women, who have been diagnosed with the disease, with timely options for care, education, and support."
MODART Keep A Breast Phoenix will be held during national Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The event will be open to the public. Ticket availability will be announced on the Institute's web site, www.aibh.org, later this spring when more information is available.
More than $100,000 has been raised at
MODART Keep A Breast auctions in Lake Tahoe, CA, San Francisco, New York, Raleigh, NC, San Diego, and in France and Germany.
About MODART Keep A Breast
Launched in 2000,
MODART Keep A Breast is a breast cancer awareness campaign organized by MODART, a two-person collaborative exhibition organizer for action sports artists.
MODART Keep A Breast raises cancer consciousness and funding through the auctioning of one-of-a-kind plaster breast molds, individually cast on female volunteers and then customized by artists on MODART'S roster. The program has had openings across the country, and has raised $80,000 for local breast cancer charities.
MODART Keep A Breast continues to grow year after year, with hopes of making it to all major cities in the USA and Europe.
About Arizona Institute for Breast Health
The Institute, a Phoenix-based 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, provides women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer a free second opinion regarding treatment options. Physicians and medical professionals volunteer their time for the Institute, which was created to give women the opportunity to receive the best possible information regarding treatment options for breast cancer. Founded by medical professionals, the Institute also presents seminars that address prevention and education on specific treatment options.
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