Support Kristen In Her Battle With Breast Cancer

Thank you for supporting our friend and bartender Kristen Boggs, a 30 year old from Greensboro North Carolina, moved to Cincinnati five-years-ago in search of something completely different following the completion of her fourth bachelors degree from East Carolina University. She found it in bartending as well as a community and a passion in an occupation unlike any in her life. Said community, was paramount following her diagnosis of Stage 4 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, a form of breast cancer, in February of this year. Through the first rounds of chemo she has continued to work full-time at Madonna’s Bar and Grill in downtown Cincinnati, while picking up shifts and helping when she could at Gypsy’s in Covington. This allowed her to pay the mortgage on the home, which she owns alone; as well as the mountain of medical bills; all while supporting her 3 cats and elderly dog; and most importantly attempting to maintain a sense of normalcy.

Through this carcinoma journey, she will, and has lost, many of the aspects of a normal life, including all of her hair and is gearing up for a massive surgery at the end of the summer - a double mastectomy, the loss of the lymph nodes in her chest and under her arms, and a small portion of her breast plate. This surgery will make it impossible to work for several weeks, another loss of normalcy - including a form of income and the chance to be around the community that has made this experience more bearable. Following her five months of chemotherapy, invasive surgery, and many pokes and pricks along the way - her final lap and completion of this entire medical journey is in the form of six weeks of radiation.

All of this being said, she maintains a smile and finds every reason to put one on everyone’s face she meets - all while attempting to teach about, and remove the stigma of cancer.

She remains consistently thankful to the kindness of others; her family and bar family’s undeniable continued support; and the love of her partner, close friends, and animals.

Sunday we will be having a fundraiser with a way of donating in person and online. There will be a silent auction happening as well as donating a percentage of sales to Kristen from this day, so come in get plenty of food and drinks and support your fellow industry friend!