A fundraiser to help cancer patients is $100 closer to a goal of $10,000 following a weekend event in downtown Bay City. Mary Williamson of Freeland says 101 buttons were added to "Pinkie" — a traveling wedding dress being covered with pink buttons to raise money for local cancer patients — on Friday and Saturday at Bayshire Beauty Academy, 917 Saginaw St. During the two-day event, patrons were invited to purchase buttons for $1 each. The buttons will be sewn on the dress and the money raised will be donated to the Pink Fund. The goal is to raise $10,000 to help those in need in this area.

Williamson, owner of Simply Charmed by Mary — a personalized charm-making business — said family members and friends have battled breast cancer. “In college, I made a full-length evening gown out of buttons,” Williamson said. “I’ve always been fascinated by buttons. I was going to make a button dress and have it go to different businesses to raise awareness of breast cancer. My husband suggested I sell buttons and sew them on the dress.”

Nancy Schafer, owner of Wedding Daze, 510 Salzburg Ave. in Bay City, donated a wedding dress. Williamson and Schafer are members of the Women in Business Association. Pinkie has been on tour for a few weeks and has raised about $1,400. The dress will be displayed again from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Atrium restaurant, 1100 N. Water St. in downtown Bay City, as part of the Women in Business Expo and 1st Thursdays Gallery Walk. Founded by Molly MacDonald, the Pink Fund was formed to provide short-term financial aid to women and men suffering from breast cancer. Money is given to cancer patients to help them pay their bills, which allows them to focus on healing.