Identity Crisis has become an August tradition in Shepherdstown and the time is now. On Saturday, the small town feel of Shepherdstown will be transformed into a backdrop for fun, fundraising and a menagerie of Science Fiction, movie and other characters, from bizarre to beautiful, says organizer Tara Sanders-Lowe.

Guests are encouraged to use their imagination and pull ideas from as far back in history and as far into the future as one can imagine to live out their Sci-Fi dreams.

“Humans have always tried to imagine what things will be like in the future, so hopefully some will add some retro-futuristic costuming to the evening,” said Sanders-Lowe.

A VIP level is available for those who would like to give more to the event. The extras including in being a VIP include attendance at a pre-party, a motorcade into town with red carpet drop off and a ticket into a themed dance party.

For those who may not wish to invest in such special treatment, many of the establishments in Shepherdstown will be open and participating in the event. There will be paparazzi, karaoke, step & repeats, photo booths and more throughout the town.

Raising awareness and funds for Breast Cancer, the unique annual event pulls attendees from up and down the East Coast. For the fourth year, Sanders-Lowe said, the event will raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness- Cumberland Valley (BCA-CV), a nonprofit organization that serves women in Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland, Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania, and Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties in West Virginia and Winchester, Virginia areas.

The small staff and organization volunteers provide support to women fighting caner, offering free mammograms and screening, programs, as well as needed supplies, meals and care assistance, in addition to education and outreach.

Annual Crisis attendee Kathy Turner shared, “I have been involved in many fundraisers to fight this terrible disease, but Identity Crisis is my favorite by far. I love that a whole community comes together to raise money to fight breast cancer. That we celebrate the survivors, the families, the friends, the caregivers. I love that it’s fun! I love that for one night, you can be anyone or anything you want to be. That it’s not wrapped in sadness, but life.”

BCA-CV’s continued operation is reliant on fundraisers like Identity Crisis and donations form the public.

“That BCA-CV helps local people right here in our own backyard,” Turner continued. “The money we raise doesn’t go to pay someone’s half million dollar salary, but to mammograms for those who can’t afford it; for wigs or turbans to those who need them; to community outreach, to support groups, meals, house cleaning. It’s a fundraiser that actually benefits our friends and neighbors and does it with love and does it together. That’s why I go, that’s why I volunteer, that’s why I donate.”

Ticket purchases, donation forms and more information for Identity Crisis can be found at identitycrisiswv.com. For additional information, contact Tara Sanders Lowe at tara@eventplanningandpromotion.com.