Stokes donates $7,100 to breast cancer research

Published 2:29 pm Friday, November 8, 2019

By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Stokes Automotive raised $7,100 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama during a recent fundraiser.

A check was presented to the organization on Nov. 7.

For every new car sold in the month of October, Stokes Automotive donated $100 to the foundation.

Owner Kirk Stokes said October is typically a slower month for the dealership, but he was glad they were able to donate as much as they could.

“It is real important that we do this,” Stokes said. “… Cancer effects a lot of people … We are glad to help any way we can.”

Cancer has also impacted the dealership. Employee Brad Sallis lost his wife to breast cancer.

Beth Davis, executive director for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, said this was the first year Stokes was a partner. However, the organization had partnered with a car dealership in Hoover for a similar fundraiser in the past.

She said the foundation was “super excited” to have a partner in Chilton County.

“We fund breast cancer research throughout the year,” Davis said. “This will be invested in breast cancer research right here in Alabama.”

This is done through providing grants to researchers. There have been 25 applicants this year so far.

“We have a panel of medical professionals that tells us what’s good science because that’s the only thing we want to invest in and most promising,” Davis said.

The goal is to be able to award $1 million in grants this year.

Stokes said he anticipates the dealership partnering again in the future.