The Jenkinstown Day Spa took Breast Cancer Awareness Month to a whole new artistic level with a bra-decorating contest. Lauren Rooney, owner of the day spa, which is in its ninth year, said that she got the idea from “reading an article while on vacation in North Carolina. I thought it was such a cool way to raise awareness and have fun, be creative, so I borrowed the idea and people loved it!”
She added that, because 90 percent of her clientele consists of women and sadly that breast cancer is so prevalent, “almost everyone is touched by it in some way and wants to do something to help find a cure.” To that end, Jenkinstown received dozens of entries, all displayed on hangers throughout the spa: some funny, some beautiful, some personal and touching and others outrageously creative.
“The Pups,” with each bra cup decorated like a Yorkshire terrier with a doghouse built around it and a “Save the Pups” slogan, won for Most Original. There was a butterfly bra and a bedazzled jewel bra that said, “Big or Small, Let’s Find a Cure to Keep Them all for our Girls!” Most Sarcastic went to the vampire bra with attached teeth that said “Take a Bite out of Breast cancer.”
“I see them every day and yet they still bring a smile to my face every time I walk in,” said Rooney. “I think that each bra represents the secret self of the person who created it. That’s why I loved this idea — because it helped raise money for breast cancer; it raises awareness; and those who participated had a chance to be creative and whimsical and have fun.”
Everyone who entered paid $10 to the American Cancer Society and each person who entered a bra received a $10 coupon to the Day Spa, with winners receiving gift certificates for treatments.
“This one is so beautiful that we gave it the Martha Stewart Award,” said Rooney, pointing to a sunflower bra that was so colorful and enticing that “people have offered to buy it!” Most Artistic went to the brassiere made entirely from wine-bottle corks with grape leaves wrapped throughout. There was a pink feather boa bra with bells and tassels that Rooney has coined the “Nasty Stripper Bra! It’s too funny.” One seamstress went to town creating a quilted bra and Rooney herself had to represent the New Paltz Rescue Squad with an EMS bra, as well as a Jenkinstown “Relax, Renew, Rejuvenate” bra.
“It’s like an art installation and people love seeing what others created, and I’ve had so many people say that they wish they would have done it. So next year, we’re going to start earlier and get the word out and I think this will be a wonderful annual Breast Cancer Awareness event.”
The Jenkinstown Day Spa is located at 45 Jenkinstown Road in New Paltz and provides every type of massage therapy, pedicures, manicures, waxing and facials. To learn more call the shop at 255-3160.
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