Swig launches ‘Save the Cups’ campaign to help women fight breast cancer, raise awareness

ST. GEORGE — In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, drink shop Swig will be running its second annual “Save the Cups” campaign to help women pay for breast cancer treatments.

“Unbreakable” Graphic for breast cancer awareness | Graphic courtesy of Swig, St.George News

The campaign aims to raise $175,000 by the end of October, $14,000 more than last year’s event achieved. Swig hopes to achieve its goal by offering weekly fundraiser items, custom event drinks and the ability to add donations to any order. 

The company is also adding a new element this year by allowing women in need to apply for help on its company website. After being submitted, applicants will be reviewed by a three-person panel to help determine eligibility.

Last year, Swig was able to help loyal customer Carrie Mckee not only financially but by reminding her to get a check-up as well. Shortly after visiting Swig and seeing the “Save the Cups” campaign, Mckee was pulling into her driveway and noticed some pain. That, combined with the awareness Swig brought up, led her to schedule a check-up and ultimately helped her catch her cancer diagnosis at an early stage.

“You’ll never forget the moment that you’re told you have cancer,” she said. “I’ll remember every moment of that day and trying to process like, ‘Okay, I have cancer, and now what’s coming next?’ Not only am I going to be in surgery and, possibly, treatment plans but what is this financially going to cost my family?”

Even though Mckee had insurance, she ultimately had to pay an $8,000 deductible. Fortunately for her, Swig was able to help her cover some of the cost. In other situations, treatments can end up costing upwards of $20,000. To help cover these costs, “Save the Cups” is setting out to help qualified applicants receive amounts between $5,000 and $20,000 to be applied directly to their medical bills.

Breast cancer is a familiar subject to Swig’s founder, Nicole Tanner.

Swig’s Founder, Nicole Tanner, date and location not specified | Photo courtesy of Swig, St. George News

At 37, she discovered that she had a rare and fast-growing cancer. As bills piled up, she didn’t know how she was going to pay for everything, but through the generosity of others, she ended up having to pay just $100.

“Being a breast cancer survivor and also having been on the receiving end of the generosity and kindness of others, ‘Save the Cups’ is very personal to me,” she said. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to partner with Swig’s generous customers to pay it forward and help others get the life-saving procedures they need without the financial burden that often accompanies them.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States and is responsible for over 40,000 deaths each year. Additionally, the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health posted a study in 2016 showing that treatments can cost over $15,000.

For more information on “Save the Cups,” visit Swig’s campaign website. The page contains information on the specific initiatives Swig will be doing throughout the month, as well as additional ways to contribute to the cause.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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