So Brave 2020:

So Brave, Australia’s Young Women’s Breast Cancer Charity, now in its fourth year, is launching its 2020 calendar to raise vital funds and awareness for breast cancer, whilst empowering young breast cancer survivors.

Having already distributed $115,000 for breast cancer research, each year So Brave creates a captivating fundraising calendar featuring 12 young Australian women who are breast cancer survivors. The women are transformed with body art and are photographed for the annual fundraising calendar. The photographs depict the metamorphosis that each young woman has gone through during their body paint photoshoot and breast cancer journey. 

Net proceeds from the sale of the 2020 So Brave Calendar go to supporting So Brave's mission: empowering young breast cancer survivors; educating young women across Australia and; funding research that better prevents, diagnoses, treats and monitors breast cancer in young women.

Young breast cancer survivor, Managing Director and Founder of So Brave, Rachelle Panitz, says: “Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women aged 20-39 years. The So Brave calendar is a celebration of the women and of their bravery in facing breast cancer and in sharing in this bodypainting experience to raise awareness and money to fight this disease. Our young breast cancer survivors truly are SO BRAVE.”

So Brave has transformed 48 young breast cancer survivors. All survivors were diagnosed with breast cancer before they turned 40. The 2020 fundraising calendar features young women from South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, and Victoria.

Rachelle comments: “We receive no Government funding so our ability to affect change in this area to improve outcomes for young Australian women diagnosed with breast cancer is entirely dependent on our supporters coming to our events, fundraising in the community, making donations and purchasing our fundraising calendar.”

The So Brave fundraising calendar launched on Saturday 14 September 2019 at the Emporium Hotel in Brisbane. Funds raised from the National Launch Weekend and fundraising calendar support So Brave’s programs:

• Support programs for young women: our signature So Brave Model Ambassador Program and online support group So Brave CONNECT;

• Awareness programs: community events and education program educating the next generation to be #breastaware; and

• The research investment program directly funding $115,000 in research.

Rachelle concludes: “2019 has been an incredible year of growth for So Brave and we are thrilled to be able to bring our beautiful imagery and mission to raise awareness to even more communities across Australia.”

For more information about So Brave and to purchase the 2020 fundraising calendar, visit: https://sobrave.com.au/.