TAMPA, Fla. — The battle against breast cancer is personal for Tampa resident Danielle Redd.
"I lost my mom to breast cancer eight years ago, and I just battled it myself in December," Redd said.
As a survivor, Redd's making it her mission to raise money to help fund cancer research. Thursday, she teamed up with 717 South restaurant to host a fundraising event. Danielle said seeing others join the fight against cancer is a huge part of her motivation.
"It inspires me to continue raising money for more research, so we don’t have to continue watching people suffer through this horrible cancer," Redd said before smiling. "Looking forward to fundraising, a lot."
Redd and 717 South owner Michael Stewart enlisted the help of an old friend to aid in the money-raising effort. A friend who's a pro wrestling icon and a 16-world champion.
"We love doing guest bartender events, and who better than Mr. Ric Flair,?" Stewart said. "All the money raised with tips at the bar is going to this charity."
"There’s no pleasure like supporting people that have health issues," Flair said before the event kicked off. "Having had serious ones myself, they can be hard. And cancer is a terrible, terrible disease."
Flair said he's just happy to see Danielle be able to keep fighting after beating the toughest opponent of her life.
"It’s unbelievable. To see her come back. To be around her, as traumatized as she was before she had the surgery," he continued. "To see her bounce back like this. It’s worth every minute of it, to be here with her, by her side."
Redd's event raised more than $10,000, and she has a team assembled to walk in the American Cancer Society's "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" event on October 29th at Raymond James Stadium.
She also has no intention of slowing down.
"We all know someone that has had it or has it right now. So hopefully we can make a difference," Redd said.
