At Good Works Auto Repair, we’re passionate about supporting our community. But sometimes, that community spirit goes beyond just what we can do in Tempe or the surrounding areas. When there’s an even bigger cause we can rally behind, especially one that affects many of our neighbors, we’re all ears!
In October of 2023, and during October for several previous years, many of our Tempe auto repair shop clients joined us in supporting the Brakes For Breasts campaign. This inspiring movement has been raising funds to support the Cleveland Clinic’s ongoing breast cancer vaccine research since 2011.
For over a decade, local auto repair shops and their customers have been a driving force behind the vaccine’s research and consequent production. Now, it’s time to check in and see how much progress has been made!
What’s the Brakes For Breasts Campaign All About?
Perhaps you’ve never heard of Brakes For Breasts before or you’ve heard about it and never participated. If that’s the case, let’s start by telling you what the campaign is all about.
Throughout the month of October each year, participating auto repair shops across the country offer free brake pads to their customers. The customers then pay labor costs for brake pad installation and any other parts that are needed to complete the brake service. Then, these repair shops donate 10% of the proceeds to the Brakes For Breasts campaign. Customers are also encouraged to make their own donation if they feel inclined to do so. ALL of the money raised during the campaign goes toward funding breast cancer vaccine research.
The most recent counts reflect over 100 local auto repair shops participating in the campaign, with more than $200,000 raised yearly the last few years. That’s a huge increase over the initial $10,000 raised in 2011 with just 5 independent repair shops participating! While we haven’t yet heard the total amount raised in 2023, we DO want to share some even more exciting news with you.
The Cleveland Clinic Announces Progress With a Revolutionary Breast Cancer Vaccine
Like many things in life, vaccine research takes time, money, and people. But good things are certainly worth waiting for!
In December of 2023, the Cleveland Clinic and Anixia Biosciences announced positive results from their Phase 1 trial of the breast cancer vaccine. This first phase involved giving the vaccine to 16 individuals diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer while measuring its effectiveness and potential side effects. So far, none of the individuals in the trial have experienced negative side effects or a recurrence of cancer. That’s promising news!
What’s next on the agenda? According to the Brakes For Breasts campaign website, Phase 1b includes additional testing for safety, dosing, and side effects. Once that’s complete, the research will move on to phases 2 and 3 with larger study groups, a wider demographic, and additional testing for efficacy, side effects, and overall safety. The hope is that within the next 5 years, sufficient research will have been done to acquire FDA approval for distributing the vaccine to the public.
Brakes For Breasts: Driving Toward a Better Future Without Breast Cancer!
What can YOU do to help breast cancer vaccine research continue into subsequent phases? For starters, you can always join us each October by participating in the Brakes For Breasts campaign. You get free brake pads and we all work together to support our greater community – that’s a win for everyone!
Or, you can make a donation ANY time of year to the Brakes For Breasts campaign by simply visiting their website and contributing online. Together, we can help raise hope for millions of women and put the brakes on breast cancer for good!
