Chuck Kuepfer, Staff Reporter

Alanna Foell’s work to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation has not gone unnoticed.

Foell was honoured by the foundation earlier this year for her work organizing the annual Bald! Breasts! Bands! event, held on her family farm near Glen Allan.

The “Returning Community Event Organizer Award” comes as plans for 2012 BBB fall into place.

This year’s event is set for Saturday, July 21 and can’t come soon enough for those that participate in the annual summer bash.

“It seems that people are asking when the next one will be before we even finish cleaning up after the current one,” said Foell. “The community spirit is one of the reasons we keep doing it.”

It’s the seventh year for the event, which began in 2006 as a big party to burn what was left of an old barn. The party eventually evolved into a fundraiser in honour of Alanna’s mother Lois Foell, who lost a battle with breast cancer in 2008.

Since then, more than $30,000 has been raised for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

The 2012 fundraising goal is $15,000.

“This year we have expanded our donations to include the Grand River Hospital Foundation, in recognition of all the work they have done for other members of my family, including my mom, for whom the party is dedicated to,” said Foell. “Cancer affects everyone and we have decided that it was important to give to the local charities as well as the larger organizations.”

If the $15,000 fundraising goal is reached, proceeds above that goal will go to support charities that bands at the BBB are partnered with.

And music continues be a staple of the event.

“We have an amazing lineup this year of bands,” said Foell. “The event is similar to last year, just with bigger acts and an even more impressive stage set up.”

Musical acts include: Assassinate the Following, a heavy metal band from Windsor; Affinity, a rock band from Toronto; Saint Alvia, a two-time Juno nominated pop punk group from Burlington; and Two Crown King, a hip-hop/funk/soul fusion band from London.

Brandon James, an acoustic act from Waterloo opens the event, while Elmira DJ CodeOne will entertain between sets.

“As always, we will be encouraging people to get up, shave their heads and raise money,” said Foell.

Proceeds will also be raised through food sales and merchandise, such as t-shirts, mugs and UV bracelets. A few prize packages donated by the bands will also be raffled off.

More info

For tickets and more information about this year’s Bald! Breasts! Bands! event, visit www.barnburner.ca.