There are eight days left to shop till you drop at Good Vibes on Main and help breast cancer survivors who are on their way to wellness. Or, when you order a drink at many businesses on Main Street and ask them to "pink my drink", $2 of your purchase goes toward the same cause.
Shop owner Vickie Sparks is donating 20 per cent of all Life is Good-branded dragonfly merchandise sales in October to Newmarket’s Dragonfly Wellness Retreats. The not-for-profit organization offers programs and weekend retreats for women who have completed their treatments for breast cancer.
"It's incredible what Dragonfly Wellness is doing," Sparks said. "There isn't much in the way of after-treatment for women who have survived breast cancer and the organization fills in the holes and gaps that women need. We've all been touched by breast cancer in some way."
Store merchandise available for purchase includes dragonfly-emblazoned T-shirts, hoodies, baseball caps and other head coverings, coffee mugs and more.
Sparks, who has volunteered at the retreats, said it's an amazing thing to see women supporting each other. Proceeds from the fundraising effort help to offset the cost of putting on the retreats. Participants pay $150 per person, with donations covering the rest.
Dragonfly Wellness Retreat was co-founded by Manon Labrecque and Laura Stornelli, both of whom are breast cancer “thrivers”. The centre provides four weekend retreats each year, and two ongoing programs that include the peer support group Women in Strength, led by a trained facilitator, and S.H.A.P.E., an eight-week exercise program for women who have completed treatment for breast cancer.
The retreats, held at nearby facilities that are in a natural setting, are in high demand and the November event is sold out. The services offered include hands-on yoga and meditation, home-cooked organic, vegan food, educational workshops on healthy living, facilitated group discussions about body image and sexuality after cancer, self-care, outdoor adventures and more.
Three of the weekend retreats are tailored to the needs of breast cancer survivors, and one retreat is dedicated to younger women affected by breast or gynecological cancer.
For a full list of participating businesses throughout October, visit the Dragonfly Wellness for Women Facebook page
Good Vibes on Main is at 254 Main St. S. For more information, visit here
