Councilors pledge discretionary funds as Brenda Brown's Bosom Buddies seeks support for Sister Strut 5K

Representatives of Brenda Brown's Bosom Buddies appealed to the Birmingham City Council on Sept. 20 for support of Sister Strut 2016, a breast-cancer-awareness walk and 5K set for Sept. 24 at Legion Field.

"We just want everybody to come out this coming Saturday," Brother Tracy Mohammed said, inviting residents to the 7 a.m. registration and the walk-run scheduled through 11 a.m. He described the event's outreach goals and said men are being encouraged to participate in support roles.

Evelyn Wilson, who identified herself as a representative of Brenda Brown's Bosom Buddies, said the fundraiser helps pay for early-detection education and other assistance for people living with breast cancer. The event chairperson noted it is the group's fifth annual Sister Strut and that community volunteers and local media will participate.

Council members responded with offers of financial support and administrative help. Councilor Scales said she would "do $2,500 in the name of Mary Rae Crim and Miss Maxine Parker" and asked the law department to help process paperwork so the donation could be disbursed from discretionary funds. Council President Pro Tem (speaker S14) said she would increase a previously mentioned discretionary contribution and later said, "let me just round this off to $3,000 for me." Council members discussed consolidating donations and asked staff to expedite any necessary paperwork so organizers would receive funds and be able to cover event expenses.

The council's responses included procedural directions: members asked the mayor's office and law department to coordinate handling of discretionary-authority paperwork and to confirm what city funds could be applied to event rents and related costs.

The council did not take a formal vote on a grant or appropriation at the meeting; members instead pledged individual discretionary contributions and directed staff to follow up on the administrative steps required to make the payments available to the organization.