Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer (BBBC) and their partners at St. Mary’s Health Care System came together Feb. 21 at Chops and Hops in Watkinsville to celebrate BBBC’s donation of $250,000 to St. Mary’s breast health services, the most the 20-year-old BBBC has ever raised in a single year.

“We feel truly honored to be the chosen beneficiary of BBBC fundraising proceeds,” said Aaron James, St. Mary’s Foundation director. “This donation puts their cumulative giving to St. Mary’s Breast Health Services Fund at $1,259,500. St. Mary’s feels blessed to have their trust, friendship and support, and we stand stronger together in the fight against breast cancer.”

James added that, as a token of appreciation, St. Mary’s Foundation and St. Mary’s Breast Health Center will name the center’s lobby waiting area in honor of BBBC. The center is located in Resource Medical Park at 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Athens, though is temporarily seeing patients in a clinic behind St. Mary’s Hospital due to a pipe that burst during the Christmas Eve freeze.

“This kind of community support is a tremendous asset to our center and the patients we serve,” said Dr. Kathleen Jeffery, medical director of St. Mary’s Breast Health Center and the region’s first female surgeon dedicated exclusively to breast health. “We are in this fight together and together, we are saving and improving lives throughout our entire region.”

BBBC founders Jay and Teresa Abbott and their longtime creative partners, Dwight and Leslie Standridge, were joined at the presentation by many of BBBC’s key supporters. The room was filled with cheers as the four presented an oversized check to James, Dr. Jeffery, and Ansley Martin, St. Mary’s Foundation major gifts coordinator.

“Teresa and I are humbled by and grateful for the outpouring of love we continue to receive,” said Jay Abbott. “We send our deepest thanks to all those who lift us up in prayer and who support Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer in so many ways, especially our good friends Dwight and Leslie. We can’t tell you how much it means to us that you care. Let’s get out there and beat cancer for good.”

BBBC began in October 2003 when Teresa Abbott was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of Stage 3 breast cancer. Over the next 18 months, Teresa endured surgeries and countless numbers of chemotherapy and radiation sessions. It was grueling, but at the end of her treatment journey, Teresa was pronounced cancer-free.

Inspired and grateful, the Abbott family chose to share Teresa’s story and thank all their friends and family who supported them during those long months. They wanted to do something to help others battle the disease, especially those who had fewer resources. At the time, the Abbott’s youngest son, Chris, was playing football at the University of Georgia. With the help of then- head football coach Mark Richt and the UGA football team, the first annual Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer Charity Golf Tournament was organized, and BBBC was born. (Tragically, Chris died unexpectedly a few days before the Feb. 21 event, but Jay and Teresa wanted to go ahead with the presentation.)

In 2009, the Abbotts chose St. Mary’s Hospital and St. Mary’s Foundation as their partners and beneficiaries in the fight against breast cancer. Over the years, with BBBC’s financial support, St. Mary’s has provided hundreds of no-cost mammograms to uninsured women. In addition, BBBC’s support has helped St. Mary’s acquire state-of-the-art imaging equipment – including 3-D mammography systems –at the main hospital in Athens, its rural hospital in Lavonia, and its outpatient imaging center in Oconee County.

Key to BBBC’s success in 2022 were these partners, sponsors and special events:
• Golf tournament in April with DGD Fund
• Golf tournament in July at Georgia Club in Oconee County with UGA Football (18th annual)
• Golf tournament in August at Currahee Club in Stephens County (8th annual)
• Girls With Guitars w/94.9 the Bull at the Variety Playhouse
• “Protect the Puppies” t shirt sales with Red Zone Athens
• Good Morning America appearance with Amy Robach and a $25K donation from Harbin Lumber
• Beaver Toyota of Cumming – $52,000 donation
• “Pink in the Rink” with UGA Hockey
• “Pink Out” inside Sanford Stadium vs. Vanderbilt with UGA Paint Line and UGA Spike Squad
• UGA Football "Points Challenge") vs. Vanderbilt and Florida
• DGD Fund Concert at the Georgia Theatre
• Butts County fundraiser
• Kendra Scott jewelry percentage weekend
• WGC cornhole bag sale
• Quality Foods October golf tournament
• Cable East (Robert Wall)
• Quality Foods (Verlin Reece)
• Emmit & Debra Luther
• Metrocon Concrete (Dan Crosby)
• Shaun & Kathy Callahan
• Dormie Network
• USA Truck
• Landmark Properties
• Georgia Crown
• 94.9 The Bull
• Beaver Toyota
• Harbin Lumber
• Presbyterian Homes of Georgia
• Currahee Home Builders
• Matt Pruitt Insurance
• Bonnie Dunn and Lisa Langford (Coldwell Banker Realty)
• Play it Again Sports – Buford
• Greg Fawcett
• Escoe Industrial
• Coyote Logistics

To learn more about BBBC, visit Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer. To learn more about St. Mary’s breast health services, visit St. Mary's Breast Health Center - Dr. Kathleen Jeffery - Athens, GA (stmaryshealthcaresystem.org).