Chicagoland area restaurants help raise funds to support breast cancer treatment
On Oct. 16, 2024, Equal Hope, the non-profit dedicated to eliminating racial
disparities in the treatment of breast cancer, cervical cancer and other cancers, recently kicked
off its 2nd Annual Breastaurant Tour, which runs Oct. 1 – 31, Breast Cancer Awareness Month,
to raise funds for the organization and highlight the importance of early screenings and
treatment.
As a part of the Equal Hope Breastaurant Tour program, participating restaurants are donating a
percentage of every purchase on select days to Equal Hope to help eliminate health inequities
and insure access to healthcare and cancer services.
“We are so grateful that more than a dozen restaurants from throughout the city have partnered
with us for the Breastaurant Tour. Restaurant owners understand the importance of this cause
and are standing with us to help provide treatment that helps save lives,” said Equal Hope
Executive Director Dr. Paris Thomas.
Participating Restaurants throughout Chicagoland include: Wilma’s Famous Bar-B-Que, the site
of the Breastaurant Tour press conference kick-off, Uncle Remus, Tropical Smoothie Café,
Truth, Kobi Fest: Taste of Liberia, Two Fish, Bronzeville Soul, Sanders Bar-B-Que Supply,
Haire’s Gulf Shrimp, Chicago Chicken & Waffles, Kilwins, J’s Bar and Slots, Bea’s Kitchen and
Kocktails and Green Dragon. All are minority-owned. For the Tour schedule, visit
equalhope.org/tour.
Equal Hope addresses barriers women of color face when it comes to screening and treating
cancer including lack of transportation to medical centers, lack of insurance, work schedule
conflicts, lack of childcare, concerns ignored by physicians and the lack of consistent quality
care depending on where patients go for care.
Breast Cancer rates nationwide are disproportionately higher among Black, brown and other
women of color in underserved and unserved communities. In Chicago, the communities with
the highest mortality rates are located on the South and West sides of the city. These
communities are predominantly African American and Latino.
In 2023, Equal Hope’s outreach efforts reached more than 475,844 individuals, nearly 20% of
Chicago’s population. Initiatives included distributing more than 106,320 flyers throughout Cook
and Lake counties, providing more than 513 rides to health screenings, scheduling 3,117
appointments, and establishing primary care for 322 individuals.
For information about Equal Hope and how you can join the fight, visit www.equalhope.org or
call (312) 942-3368