SPRINGFIELD — Pine Ridge Golf Course was a sea of pink during Lithia & Driveway’s Second annual Play for a Cure to Drive Out Breast Cancer Golf Tournament on Oct. 19. The 120-participant event was held in honor of Emilie Bean, a Lithia & Driveway employee fighting breast cancer. In total, over $100,000 was raised for breast cancer awareness.
According to the American Cancer Society, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It accounts for about 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year.”



Over 120 participants “played for a cure” during the Drive Out Breast Cancer Golf Tournament this month. The tournament was held in honor of Emilie Bean, a Lithia & Driveway employee fighting breast cancer. PHOTOS PROVIDED PHOTOS PROVIDED
Recommendations from the American Cancer Society encourage women over 40 to undergo yearly preventative cancer screenings. The organization also provides support for survivors, active fighters, those who have lost their lives to the disease, and their loved ones.
Bean was diagnosed with Stage 3A Triple Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer in December 2023.
“I had no family history of breast cancer, and I considered myself a healthy person. When a lump appeared on my breast in the summer of 2023, I thought: ‘It will go away,’’ Bean said. “When my husband felt the lump, he said, ‘You need to get a mammogram.’ But I lived in denial for a few months before I decided to see a doctor.”
Bean said that she received “overwhelming support” after her diagnosis from her employer and partners. She also joined a support group for breast cancer survivors, Pink Sista, and made “breast friends” for life.
“I am lucky. I know that many women do not have that kind of support and get to fight alone,” Bean said. “Support groups like Pink Sista are a cornerstone for the mental health support of cancer patients and survivors.”
Bean said that, after her diagnosis, she wanted to share her story and encourage everyone to get preventive cancer screenings.
“One crazy thing about breast cancer is that there are so many different diagnoses, and each woman has a unique and individual treatment journey ahead of her,” Bean said. “For that, we are all so very thankful to the American Cancer Society for helping with medical research and funding the development of new treatments to save more lives every day.”