Southside Automotive supports breast cancer research through Brakes for Breasts

MARQUETTE — October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One local auto repair shop has been raising funds all month long to support breast cancer research.

Southside Automotive in Marquette is one of many independent auto repair shops across the country participating in a national campaign called Brakes for Breasts.

Until October 31st, car owners can visit Southside Automotive for a complete brake job and receive brake pads for free. At the end of the month, ten percent of all the money brought in by each brake repair will be donated to the Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Research Fund.

Shop owner Wally Rauvala is excited to be participating in Brakes for Breasts once again this year. This cause is particularly important to him because he’s seen the effects of breast cancer in his own family.

“I’ve been doing Brakes for Breasts for about six years now,” said Rauvala. “My mother is a breast cancer survivor, so that’s kind of what got me involved in it. I think it’s a great program. And all the money goes straight to research. It doesn’t go to any of the doctors or any of the setup or any management, it just goes straight to research.”

Because breast cancer affects so many people and their loved ones, Rauvala believes Brakes for Breasts is an important campaign for auto repair shops to get involved with. He also hopes the research funded by this campaign will lead to a cure.

“If you look back in your family history, or at all the people you know and love, there’s always somebody who has been stricken with some kind of cancer,” said Rauvala. “A lot of times it’s breast cancer. So if we can cure that in the future and protect our other family members from getting breast cancer, then that would be outstanding.”

If you’d like to visit Southside Automotive for a break job, you can visit their website or check out their Facebook page. You can learn more about Brakes for Breasts here.