Brakes for Breasts: How Affordable Automotive and Bradford Jenner Are Driving Change

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for Bradford Jenner, owner of Affordable Automotive, it’s an opportunity to merge his passion for cars with a cause that hits close to home. Through the Brakes for Breasts campaign, Jenner and his team are not only offering essential vehicle services but are also raising crucial funds for an innovative breast cancer vaccine trial.

Founded in 2011, Brakes for Breasts brings together independent auto repair shops across the country to support research for a preventive breast cancer vaccine. Affordable Automotive is one of the many businesses involved in this campaign, and for the entire month of October, they are offering free brake pads to customers who bring their vehicles in for brake service. In return, the shop donates 10% of the brake job to the Brakes for Breasts campaign, contributing to the ongoing research aimed at eradicating breast cancer.

“We have helped generate over $6,000 over the past five years, and my goal this year is to donate another $6,000 or more,” said Jenner. Supporting the breast cancer vaccine trial is something Jenner and Affordable Automotive are proud to do. “Not only do we provide a valuable service to our customers, but we also get to contribute to groundbreaking research that could change the future of breast cancer treatment.”

What makes the Brakes for Breasts initiative so impactful is its dual benefit. Customers receive free brake pads—a tangible financial relief for vehicle maintenance—while Affordable Automotive makes a donation toward the vaccine trial. The vaccine, currently in clinical trials, is designed to target a protein that fuels the growth of breast cancer cells, with the potential to prevent the disease altogether.

Jenner’s involvement in Brakes for Breasts is personal. It’s hard to find anyone that hasn’t been affected by breast cancer.

“It runs in my family,” he shared, “but thankfully, no one close to me has had to deal with it directly. I’ve been supporting this campaign for the past five years because I believe in the cause and the vaccine’s potential for good.” As the Brakes for Breasts nonprofit organization highlights, “Prevention is the cure,” and while treatment for breast cancer is more advanced and effective than it’s ever been, the group raises the great question: “Why wait until it happens to treat it? Let’s stop it before it happens.”

Jenner also highlighted more of what he loves about the nonprofit. “This group was started by two women, Laura Frank and Leigh Anne Best, who own automotive repair shops, and women are a huge part of my own shop,” Jenner said.

“I really like that all the proceeds go directly to funding research for the vaccine, not to pay a large staff or the founders. While organizations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation have certainly made an impact, very little of their funds actually go toward research.”

Since its inception, Brakes for Breasts has raised over $1.8 million, all of which directly supports the research led by Dr. Vincent Tuohy at the Cleveland Clinic. Jenner and his team at Affordable Automotive are honored to be part of this national effort. 

“Knowing that we’re contributing to something as life-changing as a breast cancer vaccine is incredibly rewarding,” Jenner says. “It’s a small step in the right direction, but it’s one we can take together as a community.”

For Jenner, October isn’t just about free brake pads—it’s about making a lasting impact. “Women are a huge part of our business,” he emphasized. “We want to do our part to give back to them and support research that could potentially save lives. It’s not just about cars; it’s about driving progress in the fight against breast cancer.”

With this commitment, Affordable Automotive and Bradford Jenner are not just fixing cars—they’re helping to fix a future where breast cancer may no longer exist.