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For Calhoun and Maynard, owners of Grigsby’s Boutique & Merle Norman, the event has grown to be bigger than either of them expected.

In 2007, a mother-and-daughter team of local businesswomen decided to do something to make people in the Concho Valley more aware of the women among them who were living with breast cancer.

Four years later, Dana Calhoun and Carolyn Maynard have accomplished their mission—but they’re nowhere close to being done.

Catwalk for a Cure, their brainchild, has raised more than $100,000 for San Angelo’s chapter of the American Cancer Society, the Rotary House of Hope and the Cancer Empowerment & Resource Center at Shannon Medical Center.

This year’s Catwalk and Pink Tie Gala is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24, at McNease Convention Center.

For Calhoun and Maynard, owners of Grigsby’s Boutique & Merle Norman, the event has grown to be bigger than either of them expected. And they’re thrilled by the response.

“We wanted to create a unique and fun way to raise funds and awareness about this deadly disease, which affects numerous people within our community,” Calhoun says. “We are committed to the fight against cancer by raising money and donating it to local organizations in the Concho Valley. We have witnessed the event grow each year. Last year we had more than 500 attendees and have therefore been able to help our local organizations even more.”

Catwalk for a Cure showcases breast cancer survivors, who walk the runway modeling the latest fall fashions. People attending not only get a fashion show and a gourmet dinner, they also get to bid on a trove of silent auction items donated by local businesses.

But the fun doesn’t stop there.

The popular Bras for the Cause art exhibit and competition features themed, hand-decorated bras that are put on the auction block at the end of the evening.

“We feel it’s extremely important to showcase these women and also remember those who lost their lives battling breast cancer,” Maynard says. “We hope to continually increase the number of people we reach with this event, whether they are survivors and their family members and friends or members of our supportive community.”

Proceeds from this year’s Catwalk will benefit cancer patients through the Cancer Empowerment & Resource Center at Shannon. Located in the Shannon Medical Plaza, the center makes a wealth of resources available to cancer patients and their families, including books, computers and self-exam models.

In addition, the center offers a special “Live Well, Feel Beautiful” area that features wigs and a makeup station. The center hosts support groups for men and women and provides education to a 19-county area on early cancer detection and screening.