Sarah O'Regan

The Boobyball was started in 2002 by a group of young friends to support one of their own—a vibrant, active young woman, Sarah O’Regan who was diagnosed at 23 years of age with stage 4 breast cancer. The chairs of the Boobyball approached Rethink Breast Cancer in 2008 to create a new grant through Boobyball revenue. They were looking for a project that was aligned with Rethink’s goal of filling the gap in services and resources for young women affected by breast cancer. They also wanted to be able to measure the difference their generous donations from the event will make in the lives of those affected on the front lines. The idea for the grant was spawned.

The primary purpose of the Booby Innovation Grant is to encourage and provide support services for newly diagnosed young women with breast cancer. The grant is also designed to empower young breast cancer survivors to use their own experience to make a difference in the lives of other young women with breast cancer. The grant provides funds to young women with a personal history of breast cancer who, during their own journey with the disease, have recognized a gap in support services for young women in treatment for or healing from breast cancer thereby allowing them to devote themselves to work in the supportive care field and encouraging them to take their own life in a new direction.

The grant will fund new projects, programs or initiatives to help relieve suffering and improve the quality of life of other young women with breast cancer and is specifically intended to support work that is innovative and creative. This is a new grant program and we are open to considering a wide range of proposals.