By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Volunteers at Shelby Ridge Rehab Select were able to raise $200 to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure in two days, and are looking to donate $2,000 to the cause on Oct. 9.

Shelby Ridge resident Patricia Bradberry recently worked with other volunteers to give visitors to the Alabaster nursing home a pink surprise as they walk through the door.

Every day, Bradberry mans a table adorned with pink boas, miniature pink angels, pink T-shirts, a pink tablecloth and pink flowers for several hours as she collects donations to battle breast cancer.

“I am a survivor of cancer, and I lost my dad to cancer, so this is very important to me,” Bradberry said. “I love to work to help others. The more I do for other people, the better off I am.

“God has blessed me with a healthy body, so I am able to do things like this,” Bradberry said.

Connie Bowers, with the Birmingham-based Kirklin Clinic’s Angel Squad, heard about Bradberry’s efforts to raise money for breast cancer research, and personally delivered 100 small angel pins to Shelby Ridge.

Shelby Ridge will be selling the pins for $3 each, and Race for the Cause T-shirts for $14 each through Oct. 8. All proceeds raised by selling the items will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure during the Race for the Cure at Lynn Park in Birmingham Oct. 9.

Shelby Ridge will field a team at the Race for the Cure at Lynn Park, which will include Shelby Ridge residents, staff members and family members, Bradberry said.

“We are selling the angels and the T-shirts, but we are also just taking donations for breast cancer research for anyone who wants to donate,” Bradberry said. “Whatever we raise by Friday, we will just donate it as a lump sum check to the race on Saturday.”

This year marks the fourth straight year Bradberry has organized the breast cancer research fundraiser at the nursing home, and the event typically draws much participation from Shelby Ridge residents and members of the community, she said.

“A lot of the money we have raised so far has been from people who just gave for the sake of giving,” Bradberry added. “We are going to make our goal this year.”

Bradberry will be selling the angels and T-shirts and accepting donations from about 9:15 a.m.-2 p.m. each day at Shelby Ridge, which is located at 881 Third St. N.E. in Alabaster.