Bid for a Cure raises money for breast cancer research in Saline

Thursday’s Bid for a Cure in Saline was “just supposed to be Brandon Inge sitting in a restaurant signing autographs.”

“It’s turned into something awesome,” said Kate Mittenthal of Thursday’s event that featured food, music and Detroit Tigers and Lions players. Fans filled the closed-off section of North Ann Arbor Street for the daylong Bid for a Cure.

Mittenthal estimated 800 people lined up for the chance to get an autograph from Tigers Inge, Brennan Boesch, and Max Scherzer, their bullpen coach Jeff Jones, and Jeff Backus from the Lions.

They signed autographs on cards and jerseys. The Verve Pipe played kids’ songs and Shrek tunes for toddlers with painted faces. Local businesses provided hot food, cold drinks, and lavish gift packages in a silent auction at the end of the day.

Kelly Wilson and Nicole Vansickle came to Bid for a Cure in hopes of autographs from Tiger players, but they arrived a little too late. They settled for a photo with the team mascot, Paws, instead.

Brothers Gavin Harrison, 10, and Clay Langar, 9, were lucky enough to get autographs from Inge and Scherzer. Both said they wanted to be baseball players when they grew up.

Mittenthal, along with six of her friends, organized the event to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Mittenthal and her friends will walk 20 miles a day on Aug. 13-15 to support breast cancer research in the 2010 Komen Michigan 3-Day for the Cure.

Mittenthal says she and the other organizers have friends and family members who have been affected by or diagnosed with breast cancer. “So [today] is for our friends, our friends’ moms, everyone who’s been affected,” she said.

Tara Cavanaugh is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. To reach the news desk, call 734-623-2530 or email news@annarbor.com.