From cleavage to cancer

Chance encounter with 4-year-old cancer patient inspires Hooters waitress inbikini competition

Tiffany Saint
HootersViewersChoice2012.com
One hundred and one contestants will compete for a $50,000 cash prize in the16th annual competition.
PRNewsFoto/Hooters of America, LLC
Brynn Woods
CaringBridge.org
Tiffany Saint (center) is honoring four-year-old cancer victim Brynn by tellingher story during Saturday night's Hooters International Suitsuit Pageant on FX.
Hooters Texas/Facebook

There aren't many Hooters stories that can bring a grown adult to tears. But Tiffany Saint's journey to the infamous restaurant's International Swimsuit Pageant might get you pretty close.

The tale begins three years ago at a popular Hooters location in Humble where Saint was waiting tables. A rather sick-looking four-year-old girl from Alabama, along with her father and grandfather, took a seat in the waitress' section after a trying day at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"They told me the girl's name was Brynn and that she had been battling cancer, which finally went into remission," Saint told CultureMap from Miami, where the 16th annual swimsuit competition takes place this weekend at South Beach's Jackie Gleason Theater. "She amazing, though, and so full of energy considering she was missing her hair and had to wear an external bladder."

"One of the producers said he was excited to show the world that the girls in the contest have big hearts," Saint said.

Saint spend a good portion of the meal doting on Brynn, playing with the little girl as her family enjoyed a meal of chicken wings, the restaurant's speciality. The waitress said she was so enamored by the girl's spirit that she gave her a "Future Hooters Girl" T-shirt. She remembered being able to keep her cool until Brynn kissed her and told her she loved her. After the 4-year-old left with her father and grandfather, Saint ran to the back of the restaurant for a good cry.

"I Googled 'Brynn' and 'M.D. Anderson' the second I got home and found some articles about her. I found her mom's email and asked about seeing her again. Her mother was obviously hesitant at first, but ended up allowing me to visit the next time they were in Houston."

Unfortunately, the family was back in town only months later when Brynn's cancer returned for the last time. Saint said she spent as much time as she could with the little girl before she passed away. "Even though the situation was so horrible, she was strong and knew she would go to a good place in the end. It had such a positive impact on me and the way I see the world. It was a sad time, but one that also made me feel grateful, " Saint said.

As Saint found herself in the semifinals in the Hooters International competition, pageant organizers asked each contestant for a personal anecdote about working at the restaurant.

"I told them the only story I had was kind of a downer, but when they heard it, they thought it was so touching that they wanted to feature it during the show when it airs on TV (on FX, Saturday at 9 p.m.). One of the producers said he was excited to show the world that the girls in the contest have big hearts."

Television crews spent several days in Humble, recording a segment that will tell Brynn's story during the ceremonies.

"I'm so glad I work at Hooters where I can meet such incredible people like this," Saint said.

Tiffany Anne Saint goes up against 100 other contestants for a $50,000 cash prize in the Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant. The finals will be broadcast on FX Saturday at 9 p.m. Saint has an additional chance at the $10,000 Hooters Viewer's Choice Award — click here to vote.

Brynn's parents are asking those interested in making donations on behalf of their daughter to contact the cancer outreach organization Chemo Angels.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”