Bee Brave 5K

🌼 Bee Brave 5K Overview

Bee Brave is more than just a few events throughout the year to raise money for local breast cancer research. Throughout the last 18 years, it has grown to become a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about raising breast cancer awareness, supporting fighters, and honoring those whose battle has ended. Bee Brave is a haven of hope for those who need it, a home in which to share their courageous stories, as well as a place to celebrate the victories and triumphs over breast cancer.

💰 Funding and Impact

Since 2016, Bee Brave has raised more than $860,000 to support breakthrough breast cancer research in the lab of Dr. Matt Steensma at Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids.

🔍 What Makes Bee Brave Unique

• Local Focus: 100% of the money raised stays in Grand Rapids, Michigan!
• Volunteer Driven: 100% of Bee Brave events are organized by volunteers and supported by local business sponsors who are dedicated to finding a cure.
• Direct Support: 100% of race registration goes directly to breast cancer research at Van Andel Institute.

🤝 Partnership with Van Andel Institute

Since beginning its partnership with Van Andel Institute almost 9 years ago, Bee Brave has funded breast cancer research in Grand Rapids and that simply would not have been possible without the support of our local business sponsors and the volunteers who give countless hours to this cause. None of Bee Brave’s incredible volunteer organizers receive a paycheck from the organization, because they would rather see every single dollar be used for research!

🎗️ Collaboration with Purple Community

Bee Brave is proud to partner with Van Andel Institute Purple Community, VAI's grassroots community awareness and fundraising program that connects individuals, schools, teams, and businesses to the resources needed to join the fight against cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Individualized tools and customized assistance are available to create events and programs that help raise funds for biomedical research at the Institute. When you fundraise through VAI Purple Community, your efforts go further. Thanks to a generous endowment from Jay and Betty Van Andel, every dollar of every donation goes directly to the cause.

📅 Event Details

• Date: 2025-10-04
• Location: 7525 Alaska Ave SE, Caledonia, MI
• More Information: Visit the Bee Brave 5K page