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DOING IT FOR CARRIE: HELPING A FELLOW BARISTA FIGHT BREAST CANCER IT WAS A FRIENDLY COMPETITION with a noble mission: On August 23 at Joe in New York City, close to 70 baristas and supportive onlookers gathered at the Joe Pro Shop in Chelsea for the second-ever Baristas for Boobs latte art throwdown. Funds raised by this throwdown series, which was started by Matt Banbury of Joe, directly benefit Carrie Webster, also a Joe employee, as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer. Participants playing for the grand prize package from Able Brewing paid a $20 entry fee, ultimately raising around $1400 toward Webster's medical and living costs. Everyone who poured walked away with freebies like coffee beans from Handsome Roasters, a sassy yellow Baristas for Boobs t-shirt, and a belly full of suds donated by Union Beer. The four-hour event attracted 32 baristas from across New York City, who competed in single elimination rounds of head-to-head rosetta combat. Companies represented include Blue Bottle Coffee, Everyman Espresso, Third Rail Coffee, Joe, and many others. There were some decorated coffee competitors in attendance, like 2012 Northeast Regional Brewer's Cup champ Jordan Barber of Intelligentsia, and Counter Culture Coffee's Katie Carguilo, who reigns as this year's U.S. Barista Champion. Webster presided at the judge's table alongside fellow Joe manager Anna Utevsky and former World Barista Champion Michael Phillips of Handsome Coffee Roasters. Ultimately, the gold went to Joe's own Eric Heredia. Webster, the inspiration behind Baristas for Boobs, hails from Portland, Ore., but has been a barista and assistant manager at Joe for more than a year. After Webster was confronted with From le : Throwdown winner Eric Heredia; Sam Lewontin; the beloved Carrie Webster; and Michah Phillips, celebrating at the Baristas for Boobs event in New York the breast cancer diagnosis last year, Banbury, her friend and colleague, decided to create a fund-raising event in her name. Though Webster is insured, her chemotherapy treatment is still a costly and time-consuming process. Money raised by the throwdowns aims to lessen her medical expenses, and to offset the burden of her day-to-day cost of living. Webster says, "Yes, of course the money helps out a lot, but mostly it's all of the moral support. Usually I try to take care of myself emotionally and financially, but it's been great being a part of not only the Joe family, but also the coffee family both in NYC and Portland. The first Baristas for Boobs competition was " held in April of 2012 at the Union Square location of Joe. It drew a crowd of 150, and managed to raise almost $3000 toward Webster's expenses. "It's been amazing to see people come out of the woodwork in support of Carrie," says Banbury. "I've been touched that I don't have to go out looking for people to help out. They come to me." Webster echoes that sentiment, saying, "It warms my heart to see how a community and industry come together for someone in need. I'm new to NYC, and all of these people and shops came out to help someone that they don't even know. " Banbury says that the next Baristas for Boobs throwdown will likely be this coming winter, right before Webster goes in for surgery. He also says that he's looking into creating an online Baristas for Boobs donation setup, so interested parties can stay tuned via the Joe website (joenewyork.com) for more information. For now, all queries regarding donations, future competitions, and t-shirt purchases can be directed to baristasforboobs@gmail.com. —Emelyne Smith www.baristamagazine.com 21