Many people in the Forney area have heard of a group called the Z-Bra Girls, but most do not know the story behind how the Z-Bra Girls came to be. They have become a staple in Forney over the past seven years and they are a prime example of what our community is capable of when we really want to do something to make a difference in the lives of others.
Many people in the Forney area have heard of a group called the Z-Bra Girls, but most do not know the story behind how the Z-Bra Girls came to be. They have become a staple in Forney over the past seven years and they are a prime example of what our community is capable of when we really want to do something to make a difference in the lives of others.
Nina Rangel lost her mom, Marina Rodriguez, to breast cancer in 1983. For Nina and her daughter Sara Portillo, it is still too difficult to talk about without tears flowing. Everyone who has lost a loved one to breast cancer can surely relate to their pain. In 2005, Sara Portillo was very pregnant when her mother asked her if she wanted to do the Susan G. Komen 3-Day in Dallas. The 3-Day is a 60 mile walk that takes place over a course of three days, and raises money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It also raises awareness about breast cancer and offers support to those fighting the disease, those who have lost someone to breast cancer, and to those who have fought and survived.
The 3-Day is no easy task, besides having to actually walk 60 miles, each participant is required to raise at least $2,300 to participate in the walk. Though Nina and Sara were the only Z-Bra Girls walkers in 2005, each year the number has grown. This year 17 women are members of the Z-Bra Girls and the team as a whole is attempting to raise nearly $40,000 so that they may all take part in the 3-Day walk. The big event takes place on November 2 – 4, 2012, in Dallas.
To reach their fundraising goal, the ladies plan events throughout the year. In April they held a two day garage sale that raised over $2,100. They have a website where donors can go to learn more about them and make a donation. They have a Facebook page and they spend time emailing friends and family to help them meet their goal. Each year you can find the Z-Bra Girls at the Forney Hometown Christmas and at the Homecoming Parade.
One of the funniest fundraising events they hold each year is their “Bra Event”, in which members of the community and the Z-Bra Girls decorate bras as works of art. In October they hold a big event in Forney to auction off the bras after they are modeled by some very brave male members of the community. Even Mayor Rozell has donned an artsy bra in front of a crowded room, in order to help in the fundraiser. The event also features a silent auction, a DJ, and a ton of food and fun. This years event is scheduled for Saturday, October 6th. Last year they raised over $6,000 at the event. The Z-Bra Girls have raised and donated over $80,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation since 2005.
Each one of the women on the team has a personal reason for wanting to participate in the 3-Day. Team member Rochelle Gillum said that she walks for her step-daughters because their mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 25, and Rochelle knows the girls can be at an increased risk for the disease. Gillums eyes teared up as she spoke about her step-daughters and said, “I walk for them.” There is another member of the team that is walking for her best friend who has breast cancer and is terminally ill. The stories go on and on because there are very few people you can meet today that have not known someone affected by breast cancer.
The 3-Day is really a giant pep rally in which supporters cheer on the walkers and the walkers cheer on each other. The participants generally walk 18 miles the first day, 22 miles the second day, and 20 miles the last day. Each of the first two nights they camp with thousands of other walkers, in pink tents provided and set up by Susan G. Komen organizers and volunteers. They are kept well fed and hydrated throughout the event. Nina's husband, Tony Rangel, is a “Walker-Stalker” for the Z-Bra Girls. It's an official title, Walker-Stalker, and it is a very important job. Tony will ride behind the team in a van that will hold every type of supply they may need, even offering to charge up their cell phone batteries. He and the other team crew members are invaluable in making the event safe, fun, and successful.
The Z-Bra Girls need the community's help in order to meet their fundraising goal. They ask that you consider making a donation on their website. Many people donate in memory of a lost loved one, or a loved one that is fighting the diseases now. The Z-Bra Girls make hundreds of little ribbons with the names of the loved ones donors have mentioned, and they carry those ribbons with them during the entire 3-Day event. They start training for the November event in May, and you will see them walking all around Forney. Sara Portillo said, “If you see us walking, wave, honk, show us your support because we really need it, and appreciate it!”
To read the Z-Bra Girls bios and find out more about the team, fundraising events, and how you can donate to help them, or to join their team, go to their website at www.z-bragirls.com. By the way, men are welcome on the team!
