Thanks to the generosity of her customers, a Dowagiac business owner is able to do her part to help “Brighton” the Lee Memorial Foundation’s annual Tree of Love campaign.

Earlier this week, Sue Kazlauskas, owner of downtown women’s apparel store The Marshall Shoppe, handed over a $1,000 check to Beth Cripe, development coordinator of the Lee Memorial Foundation. The money will go toward the organization’s annual fundraiser, which pays for breast cancer screenings at Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital for Cass County women who are uninsured or underinsured.

The donation was paid for through funds from a fundraiser the business organized in October, for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Customers were encouraged to give $10 for the Tree of Love campaign, and received a 20-percent discount off brand new fall merchandise items for the contribution, Kazlauskas said.

The Dowagiac woman — who has owned The Marshall Shoppe, which has sold Brighton accessories and other women’s clothing items, since 1991, after purchasing the business from her mother — has organized the fundraiser for last several years, she said.

“We have a lot of customers who have been affected by breast cancer, and one of our employees survived a bout with it, too,” Kazlauskas said.

Kazlauskas’ customers, who hail from throughout Dowagiac and the surrounding area, have always been very supportive of the campaign, with many people contributing more than $10 for the cause, she said.

Partnering with the Tree of Love campaign for the fundraiser made perfect sense, Kazlauskas said.

“I feel like we are fortunate to have them [Borgess-Lee] here,” she said. “A lot of small towns do not have this caliber of hospital in their community.”

This year’s $1,000 donation is the largest The Marshall Shoppe has made to the Tree of Love to date, Cripe said. The contribution alone will help pay for the mammograms of 12 women, she added.

“We are overwhelmed by the support of the community, in particular businesses like The Marshall Shoppe,” Cripe said. “They raise awareness for not only the Tree of Love, but for breast cancer and the importance of early detection.”

This year’s Tree of Love campaign has raised around 75 percent of its $9,000 goal, which will help pay for 100 mammograms at the local hospital, Cripe said.

The campaign will host its annual tree lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, at Farr Park in front of Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, 420 W. High St., Dowagiac. Dowagiac breast cancer survivor Ruth Ausra will speak during the ceremony, which will be followed by the tree lighting, with each bulb representing a contribution to this year’s campaign.

People have through Dec. 31 to make a donation to the 2017 fundraiser. People may call Cripe at (269) 783-3026 or email her at Beth.Cripe@ascension.org to make a contirubtion.

“You never know who you will be helping, be it a neighbor, friend or family member,” she said.