Ignite the Fight returns to Corpus Christi to raise money for breast cancer nonprofits

A Coastal Bend fundraiser is returning for a second year, aiming to raise even more money for local organizations supporting people affected by breast cancer.

The second annual Ignite the Fight fundraiser will be held Thursday, Sept. 3, from 6-9 p.m. at the Ortiz Center in Corpus Christi.

Organizer Jennifer Moreno said last year’s inaugural event raised $52,000. This year, organizers hope to double that amount. “We have raised so much already,” Moreno said. “We raised $52,000 last year in our inaugural year, so we’re hoping to double that hopefully by this year.”

Money raised will benefit three Coastal Bend nonprofits: the First Friday Mammogram Program, Breast Friends and Las Esperanza Foundation.

Moreno said the organizations provide help at different points in a person’s breast cancer journey. The First Friday Mammogram Program helps women access mammograms for early detection, while Breast Friends provides support that includes prosthetics. Las Esperanza Foundation helps families with some medical and other expenses.

The fundraiser also has a deeply personal meaning for people such as Joann Lerma-Cantu, who joined Moreno on 3NEWS First Edition. Lerma-Cantu said she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer on May 21 and is currently undergoing chemotherapy at CHRISTUS Spohn in Corpus Christi.

“It’s been quite a journey so far, but I still have a long road ahead of me,” Lerma-Cantu said. This is not Lerma-Cantu’s first experience with cancer. She said she survived kidney cancer 51 years ago and has a history of cancer on both sides of her family.

She said she never expected to find herself undergoing cancer treatment again decades later. “I went so many years as a survivor that I never thought … I would be here again,” she said.

Despite undergoing treatment, Lerma-Cantu said she wanted to take part in Ignite the Fight and encourage the community to support others facing breast cancer. “I’ve always been an advocate for the community for many years, and I’ve always supported breast cancer because of my grandma and others and friends,” she said.

Moreno said Lerma-Cantu and other women and men affected by breast cancer are the inspiration behind the fundraiser.

The kickoff will include raffle items, fundraising opportunities and a chance for community members to sign up as “champions” and help raise additional money for the cause.