The concert by The Boobie Sisters at the One Square Mile of Hope event on Saturday, September 13, will be especially personal for the dozen breast cancer survivor songstresses, as they honor the memory of one of their members who succumbed to the disease in June.
The Plattsburgh area group of women were drawn to the event by their late friend Jan Opal, a 2011 One Square Mile of Hope participant who encouraged them to take part due to her own amazing experience.
“Jan was an avid outdoorswoman who loved biking, kayaking and fly fishing. She was a six-year breast cancer survivor when she contacted us in May to tell us her cancer had mastasticized to her liver,” said Boobie Sister founder, Sara Rowden.
The news came just weeks after their annual performance at the Stowe Weekend of Hope event in Vermont.
While hospitalized, Opal requested a visit by her fellow Boobies, who fit in a small performance for the staff.
“We brought our pink boas and really did it up,” Rowden said, “and that’s when she told us we needed to get involved with this year’s One Square Mile of Hope—an event she said brought a ‘joy of life’ to her as a participant.”
Opal also spoke of the event’s commemorative photograph that appeared in Sports Illustrated, and how she had a framed print of it hanging on the wall at the office of the Susan G. Komen Foundation – Northeastern NY Chapter, where she served as a board member.
Upon leaving the hospital, Rowden contacted the foundation director in Albany, who agreed to bring the picture to her so it could be enjoyed by Opal.
“When we brought it to the hospital, the nurses immediately took down the ugly picture on the wall and put the poster up. Jan’s eyes just lit up, she was so excited. She told everyone who came to visit about One Square Mile, and showed them where she was in the picture,” Rowden said.
When Opal passed away in June, The Boobie Sisters carried out her final wishes by singing at her funeral.
“It was the toughest gig we ever had,” Rowden said.
They also made arrangements to be part of One Square Mile of Hope.
Aside from their 10 a.m. performance on Saturday at Arrowhead Park, a few of the group will be paddling in the event too.
Also, the public can see what they’re all about on Friday at Van Auken’s Inne where they will perform at 8 p.m.
The Boobie Sisters were born, quite by accident, 11 years ago when Rowden and a friend were asked to give a speech at a breast cancer survivor dinner in Plattsburgh.
In an effort to stray from the typical mundane speech, the two thought about delivering the talk in song. They searched the internet for musical parodies, then dazzled the audience with a pseudo-Menopause the Musical performance. Word of mouth spread, and with a growth in popularity came growth in their group numbers to 12.
They currently perform at venues throughout the north country, Vermont and in the Boston area, delivering their bawdy, boobalicious message of spreading hope through humor.
More information about The Boobie Sisters can be found on facebook and YouTube.