Montreal-based ‘Make a Bow’, a non-profit organization for breast cancer research, together with ‘Save our Women’ and Hillel Montreal, raised over $10,000 last Wednesday for the Canadian Breast Cancer foundation.
It was only two years ago that native New Yorker Mara Sofferin and a friend started the ‘Save Our Women Foundation’. What started off as a catchy slogan and logo has turned into a line of casual apparel in order to raise support and awareness of breast cancer.
“I started hearing about so many people having breast cancer. My neighbours, friends, my friend’s friends… It seemed like a regular thing to have breast cancer these days,” said Sofferin, 18, currently an Arts and Science student at McGill University.
Early in the year, Sofferin met with Khalil Saade, a McGill graduate student researching the properties of breast cancer cells at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Saade had already begun to realize that the cure for cancer would require work from beyond the labs. “People don’t realize that we’re lacking funding for research. A small vial costs on average $500 to $600 dollars,” explained Saade.
They came up with the idea of a fashion show to bring together the Montreal student community and raise big bucks for the important cause, and together founded ‘Make A Bow’. It didn’t take long for Hillel Montreal to get involved in promoting Make a Bow’s first-ever fashion show.
More than a hundred volunteer fashion directors, organizers, promoters and models have been working around the clock since August to prepare for the show. Over 600 people gathered at Time Supper Club for the show past Wednesday, which featured special guest of honour, DJ Max Graham.
Labels included American Apparel, Diesel, Michael Kors, Roots, Thievery, Le-La-Lio, and Vintage Clothing. Runway models sported dazzling rhinestones by Montreal’s high-end jewelry line, IceRok.
“Students especially don’t have the initiative to go out and give money to charity. By purchasing a ticket, without knowing, they’re giving $20 to charity,” said Eytan Bensoussan, a 24-year-old law student and runway model for the event.
Today, breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women. In 2006, over 22,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,300 will die of it.
Contact ‘Save Our Women Foundation’ www.saveourwomenshirts.com or ‘Make A Bow Foundation’ at [email protected] to make a donation.
