County Council members Lori Arons and Bob Tullock are teaming up to organize a trivia night to raise money for cancer research, following Arons’ recent announcement she has stage 1 breast cancer.
The event will be held from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the Hillsboro Community Civic Club, 10349 Business 21.
A table for eight people costs $150, or $25 per person. To RSVP, email Tullock at btullock177@outlook.com.
Barbecue provided by Smokey D’s and soft drinks will be included in the cost of entry.
There also will be an auction for gift baskets and other items.
Proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society, Tullock said.
In addition to raising money for cancer research, Arons said she hopes the event will encourage women to schedule their annual mammograms for breast cancer screening.
The Mayo Clinic advises women to begin screening at 40 years old and come back annually for follow-up examinations.
“I have been diligent about making sure I have yearly exams, and that is key, because if I had put it off and said, ‘Oh, you know I’ll wait a couple of months, or, because I was fine last year I’m not going to go this year,’ and it ends up as stage two or rapidly changes, then it’s devastating,” Arons said.
“The important thing is don’t put it off, get them done.”
Arons said she found out she had stage 1 breast cancer in February. Since then, she has had many appointments with doctors to best plan her treatment. She will have surgery in April and then undergo some radiation treatment.
“It was a really hard month,” Arons said. “I think the waiting is the hardest part. Your mind is like, ‘I have a campaign to run, I don’t have time for breast cancer.’
“Hopefully, by late May or early June, I will be fine, and I will be back to the races.”
Arons represents District 3, which covers the eastern half of Arnold and a small portion of unincorporated Jefferson County south of Arnold. She announced last year she would run for a full term as the District 3 representative at the November 2026 election. She’ll face Johnathan Sparks, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, in the Aug. 4 primary.
Arons was appointed to the seat in January 2024 when Shannon Otto resigned 11 months into her first term.
Arons said she has a great team behind her, including her husband, Leonard, who is helping with her campaign and providing support through her treatment.
“I am very fortunate that I have a team behind me that felt that this was important enough to do this fundraiser for breast cancer awareness and research, to help future women who will be in my current situation now,” Arons said.
“I would really like to see a good crowd of people who want to come out and make sure that future women have what I have, if not better.”
According to its website, the American Cancer Society’s mission is to improve the lives of people with cancer through advocacy, research and patient support.
For information about the trivia night or to donate to Arons and Tullock’s fundraiser, visit raiseyourway.donordrive.com/campaign/Jeffcofightbreastcancer.