Ciara Stick has volunteered with Mardi Bras in the past.

However, she never expected to be on the receiving end of support from the fundraiser, which assists Yukon women living with breast cancer.

That’s where Stick finds herself though, after having been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer earlier this summer.

“It’s still kind of a shock to me,” Stick, 32, said in an interview this week.

“You never think this is going to happen to you, and it feels kind of hazy.”

Stick is also getting assistance from a GoFundMe page set up by a friend.

The page, launched at the end of August, aims to raise $15,000 for Stick. So far, it has raised almost $3,000.

This will help cover expenses related to flying back and forth from Vancouver for treatment.

Stick is scheduled to start chemotherapy soon, to hopefully shrink the lump enough so doctors can perform a lumpectomy rather than remove a whole breast.

The funds raised will also help with Stick’s living expenses this winter while she is unable to work at Climate Clothing – the Horwood’s Mall shop she owns with her mother.

Some people have dropped off cheques and cash at the shop.

As well, friends have organized a Sept. 24 fundraiser for Stick.

Hosted by Epic Pizza (38 Lewes Blvd.), the night will feature live music, snacks and a silent auction.

“I’m pretty grateful,” Stick says of the efforts of friends and family. “I’m amazed at the amount of support.”

Stick, who grew up in the Yukon, knows that’s the way the community is though.

Besides volunteering with Mardi Bras, Stick has also volunteered with events and efforts including Atlin Music Festival and the Chinese Canadian Association. People help each other out here.

“I love it up here,” she says. “The people. And I’m not a big-city person. I love how everybody’s friendly here.”

She says she’s trying to be as positive as she can, not just for herself, but for those close to her.

She says one of the ways she does this when it gets tough is to make a lot of horrible boob jokes. But she also gets serious about it, and reminds people to pay attention to their bodies.

Stick says she has always recognized the importance of breast exams.

Her own diagnosis came because she was persistent after conducting a self-exam and finding a lump.

She called to make an appointment with her doctor, and pushed for an immediate date, telling the office, “I know something is wrong.”

That expedited an ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy.

Stick says she knows the tendency is to ignore things that don’t feel right with your body, and hope they go away, but she thinks it’s important to act.

That’s what she’s telling people these days.

“People are scared,” she says.

“They don’t want to face it, but you have to. I’m trying to make this an open conversation. It’s OK to talk about cancer. It’s OK to talk about our bodies.”

Tickets to Stick’s Sept. 24 fundraiser are $20, and are available at the door.

Anyone wishing to donate to the silent auction may drop donations off in advance at Triple Js (308 Elliott St.).

Her fundraising page can be found by searching “Ciara’s fight against breast cancer” at www.gofundme.com.