Breast cancer awareness month kicks off in Mobile this week with the return of an annual fundraising tea that has become a fixture on the city’s fall calendar. The event, held at Geri Moulton Children’s Park near the Mitchell Cancer Institute, blends light refreshments with a fashion show and a program aimed at supporting patients and survivors throughout the region.
Organizers say the gathering has grown steadily since it began, with last year’s tea drawing a crowd large enough to fill the Mitchell Cancer Institute’s lobby to capacity. This year’s program keeps the same free, open-to-the-public format, running from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the fashion show set to begin around 4:30 p.m.
The tea serves as the launch event for a charitable foundation established by Mobile attorney Vincent F. Kilborn III, who has stepped forward as presenting sponsor. Kilborn has said the cause is personal, noting that breast cancer has touched his own family and that events like this one give relatives and survivors alike a chance to support ongoing research and treatment efforts at the Mitchell Cancer Institute and USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
The fashion show, sponsored by a local Dillard’s store, will feature breast cancer survivors modeling for the crowd. Among them is a Mobile-area mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant with her daughter and has since marked six years cancer-free. Organizers say including survivors as models is meant to put a human face on the disease and celebrate milestones that patients and families fight hard to reach.
No tickets are required and there is no cost to attend, organizers said, a detail they hope will encourage more families and cancer survivors to take part regardless of financial circumstance. Those wanting to reserve a seat at the fashion show or get more information about the tea can call the Mitchell Cancer Institute’s community outreach line or visit the institute’s breast cancer awareness page online.
Community events like this tea play an important supporting role alongside clinical research happening at the Mitchell Cancer Institute, which serves as a regional hub for cancer treatment along the central Gulf Coast. Local organizers hope that continuing to host accessible, family-friendly awareness events will keep attention on early detection and support resources available to Mobile-area residents throughout the month of October and beyond.