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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Highway 62 bypass — just get it done ... Cooking up some fun ... After six years, wilderness trail is open ... Our View: Highway 62 bypass — just get it done ... Cooking up some fun ... After six years, wilderness trail is open ... Saving dollars to save lives A mom and her daughter have turned extreme couponing into a charitable venture Comment By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 2, 2014 at 6:31 PM By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 2, 2014 at 6:31 PM --> IF YOU GO WHAT: Burn Out for Breast Cancer, a racing event to raise money for breast cancer. Activities include a "Power Wheels" race for kids, diesel drag racing, a "test and t... » Read more X IF YOU GO WHAT: Burn Out for Breast Cancer, a racing event to raise money for breast cancer. Activities include a "Power Wheels" race for kids, diesel drag racing, a "test and tune" race, a silent auction, 50-50 raffle and bounce house and other fundraisers. WHEN: 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 WHERE: Champion Raceway, 6900 Kershaw Road in Central Point WHO: Medford chapter of Soroptimist International ADMISSION:  $12 for adults, free for kids (12 and younger) and $10 for veterans. Coupons are available at Bi-Mart to save $2. INFORMATION: www.championraceway.com NOTEWORTHY: Proceeds will go to support women in Jackson and Josephine counties who are battling breast cancer. » Social News CENTRAL POINT — While most 11-year-olds never give a second thought to saving money, much less clipping coupons, one Central Point fifth-grader spends much of her week learning to be an "extreme couponer" so she can help others. A racing event this weekend, "Burn Out For Breast Cancer," hosted by Champion Raceway in White City and the Medford chapter of Soroptimist International, will benefit from the girl's focus on savings. Savanna Brown, a longtime Girl Scout always on the lookout for a good deed, says her interest in couponing started with her mother's venture into the hobby before her younger sister was born. "When I was little, my mom always did couponing and saved a bunch of money. Then my sister was born, and she couldn't really do it as much because it was harder to clip the coupons and go to the store once my sister started to walk," said Savanna. "I started watching 'Extreme Couponing' on Netflix, and I said I wanted to help — that I wanted us to do it together because it was fun and because you can save a lot of money." The mother-daughter effort, at first, was a way to reduce household expenses and to stockpile basic necessities such as toiletries and diapers. But they didn't always need as much as their hobby provided, so the family started to donate items to various charities. Deciding to take their efforts to the Internet, KS Savings, a Facebook page named for her mother, Kari, and Savanna was born. As soon as the breast-cancer fundraising race was announced earlier this year, Savanna and her mother decided the event would be an ideal recipient for their carefully saved dollars. "What we decided we would do was get deals on stuff and save a bunch of money off the regular price and then sell stuff for the regular price and donate what we saved to the race track," Savanna said. "Me and mom were already volunteering to help, and we thought the couponing was a good way to raise even more money." Kari Brown admits to enjoying her coupon-clipping time with her daughter, and she has been impressed with the level of focus in her firstborn. "She gets really into it. As soon as she started, she said she wanted us to be like the people on TV and have huge 'hauls,' " Brown said. "When we started helping to raise money for this community event, she came up with the idea to donate some of what we saved for the event. Our initial goal was $100, but we have surpassed that." The event at Champion Raceway, located at the Jackson County Sports Park on Kershaw Road, is being held in memory of Janet Bigham, an avid drag racer, mother and grandmother who died in May after battling breast cancer, said Michelle Hopson, who runs Champion Raceway with her husband. "It really hits home for us this year having someone so close to the Champion Raceway to be lost to cancer. Everyone has been really supportive, and it's a cause that so many people in the community already can relate to," Hopson said. "I don't think I can go a single day without talking to someone who has been impacted in some way by breast cancer. I'm just really impressed with all the support and with so many people trying to help out." With a silent auction, raffle and donated funds, the track hopes to provide needed support for breast cancer sufferers and survivors in Jackson and Josephine County, said Hopson, who once worked in an oncology ward. "We've heard stories about women who have surgery and then go years without the things they need. They'll just put a sock in a bra instead of getting the right garment. We want to try and help them feel better again and feel whole," Hopson said. Savanna has yet to tally her family's donation, but she's excited to have surpassed her original goal. Admittedly as competitive as some of the racers she'll see on Saturday, Savanna said she gets the same thrill she's watched on TV when she hits the stores with her mom. "At first we only started doing a little bit of stuff, but now we do a lot of stuff when we go and we spend hours in the store. It's really fun to go shopping and get over $100 worth of stuff and only pay like 20 bucks," she said. "It's fun to save money and to know that it's helping people. We spend hours in the store and then at the register the number goes down, down, down. Our last shopping trip was like 94 items for $34. I was like, 'Oh, sweet!' " Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. Email her at [email protected]   By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 2, 2014 at 6:31 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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