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Bra None
Unique Program Offers A New Kind Of Support To Breast Cancer Survivors
By JACLYN C. STEVENSON
Since its inception in the early ’90s, The Breast Form Fund has been bolstered by the generous contributions of the Western Mass. business community and by one unique, far-reaching fundraiser: the Show Us Your Bra event held every two years in October. This year, the continued support of businesses, organizations, and individuals alike has provided for an even larger month-long celebration of art, community involvement, and, most importantly, women’s health.
Pine cones, pennies, red sequins, ketchup bottles, Wonder Bread bags, fake fur, fishing line, and plenty of underwire.
This laundry list of materials seems strange and random at first. It’s downright absurd when put into context — as the materials used to create one-of-a-kind, and often wild and wacky, pieces of art that all share one common trait: they’re bras.
Indeed, the Show Us Your Bra event, held biennially to benefit the Breast Form Fund, a non-profit that began at Gazebo, a lingerie and post-mastectomy shop in Northampton, is a one- (or shall we say two) of-a-kind event. But kidding aside, its also one of the most effective and imaginative fund-raising activities devised to assist survivors of breast cancer in living and feeling well.
“It’s an artsy, humorous, light way of addressing a serious issue,” said Judith Fine, owner of Gazebo and co-founder of the Breast Form Fund, along with Gazebo manager Emma Dostal. “It’s also all-inclusive — all are welcome to submit a bra they’ve created — boys, men, children, the elderly, everyone. I think that’s one thing that has made us so successful.
Hypnotists Support Breast Form Fund in Massachusetts
October 2007 Shelburne Falls,MA- Certified Hypnotherapist team, Martin and Deborah Yaffee, smile at the news that international author, speaker and trainer, Tom Nicoli, is the winner of their artistic donation to the Show Us Your Bra 2007 auction.
Since 1998, Show Us Your Bra has become a favorite annual fundraiser event for the Breast Form Fund. The mission of the non-profit organization is to increase awareness of breast health, and to provide financial assistance to uninsured and under insured women to purchase post mastectomy prostheses and bras after breast cancer surgery.
The Show Us Your Bra contest invites all “bratistes” and “bratiste wannabees” to create and submit a specially themed bra creation. The bras are judged by a panel of professional artists and then auctioned off at one very well-put-on gala event. The competition was the inspiration of Judith Fine, owner of Northampton’s premier lingerie and specialty bra shop, Gazebo. The store has a dedicated and well-trained team of saleswomen to help every woman with fitting and selecting the proper bra and/or prosthesis.
“All women deserve to feel good about themselves” is the statement declared on Gazebo’s website. Deborah Yaffee and her husband, Martin, couldn’t agree more. “Our hypnosis and wellness practice is dedicated to helping people with their mind over what matters. Assisting others to restore a strong and positive self-image is our specialty. This is especially important work for women who are recovering from breast cancer,”they said.
Deborah and Martin Yaffee are the owners of Riverside Healing Arts Center in Shelburne Falls, MA. Their primary modality is client-centered hypnotherapy and both are members in good-standing with the National Guild of Hypnotists. In keeping with the fun and creative challenge of the contest, they submitted a creation titled, “The Stripnotist’s Hypnotits”.
The entry sports a bright red bra featuring rhinestones on black trim that encircle each cup in a classic hypnosis spiral, and elegant heart-shaped, rhinestone-studded pendant pocket-watches dangling from the center of each cup, all finished off in elegant silver and black trim. The piece is literally framed for hanging, and although it was not one of the top 3 prize winners of this year’s show, it was prominently displayed and received many admirable comments.
Bratiste exhibitor and ceramic artist, Molly Cantor of Shelburne Falls, is one of the admirer’s of the Yaffees’ entry. “It’s fun. It’s clever…and it’s classy,” she remarked. The piece fetched a sum of $80 to be donated to funding a breast form.
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