Bras Along the Bridge raises more than $15,000 for breast cancer research

Published 1:28 pm Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Following a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Riverwalk Casino’s 13th Bras Along the Bridge event Saturday raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research.

It was a chilly November morning, but the cooler temperatures and winds coming off the Mississippi River did little to dissuade attendees from donning their pink ribbons (and wigs, and t-shirts, and shoes and more) to stroll across the Old Highway 80 Bridge and peruse hundreds of brassieres collected by Riverwalk Casino and displayed from one side of the Mississippi River to the other.

For survivor Angila Parson and her friends, the walk was about more than commemorating a battle won.

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“I’m an 11-year breast cancer survivor. The Lord has blessed me, to be with me on this journey,” Parson said. “I don’t walk a far distance, but I walk as far as I can go. I always come out to find that one person I can give some support to, on their journey.”

A total of 7,733 bras were collected for the event, some specially decorated and others hooked together to form a chain of support.

Thanks to generous donors, the Riverwalk Casino marketing team announced at the event that a total of $15,820.50 had been collected to benefit the American Cancer Society. Kansas City Southern Railroad also fulfilled its promise to match up to $5,000 in donations and contributed to the cause as well.

In addition to a check presentation, Bridge Superintendent Herman Smith was also recognized with a plaque for his years of support of the Bras Along the Bridge event.