Baribault Jewelers has been in the business of making people feel good with its beautifully-crafted jewelry collections for the past 75 years. Now, the third generation, family-owned diamond and fine jewelry company is giving breast cancer survivors hope for many more happy memories by raising $4,000 for two distinct statewide charities - the CT Breast Health Initiative and Breast Friends Fund. Specifically, Baribault Jewelers hosted two Pink Party Shopping Nights during October and donated 20% of proceeds from all store inventory to help find a cure for the disease that affects 326.7 million people in the United States.
“We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the Connecticut community for our recent charitable breast cancer events,” said Christina Baribault-Ortiz, co-owner of Baribault Jewelers. “Nearly every person in America has been affected on a personal level by breast cancer, so it is our obligation to do our part in raising both awareness and donations.”
Besides the two charitable shopping nights at its Glastonbury store, Baribault Jewelers also offered its exclusive “B Strong” bracelet in its popular The Power to B.com line as part of the monthlong campaign in which 20% of proceeds raised from the sale of the bracelet benefitted the Breast Friends Fund.
Baribault Jewelers Co-Owner Raeann Baribault-Schwartz explains that it was Sandy Cassanelli, the founder of Breast Friends Fund and a metastatic, stage 4 breast cancer survivor for the past eight years, who was the inspiration for the company to create the “B Strong” bracelet. “Sandy’s infectious positivity in living her best life and unwavering determination in her anti-cancer crusade is to be admired by all!”
“As one of my favorite shopping destinations, I’m so excited that Baribault Jewelers made Breast Friends Fund the beneficiary of this powerful two-pronged initiative in which every donated dollar is earmarked for research within the medical field,” adds Cassanelli.
Similarly, the goal of the CT Breast Health Initiative is to find answers and a cure by funding important breast cancer research and education projects in Connecticut. “Even though there are a lot of non-profit organizations competing for dollars, we believe that there is an abundance of generosity and hope in the breast cancer industry, and we thank the entire Baribault family for helping to propel our efforts in hopefully making a major breakthrough soon,” said Joyce Bray, executive director of the CT Breast Health Initiative.”
For more information, visit www.baribaultjewelers.com or www.thepowertob.com.
About Baribault Jewelers
Since 1948, Baribault Jewelers has been guided by its core values of authenticity, integrity, service, gratitude, courage, trust and respect in providing sterling service to its local, statewide and national clientele. While styles come and go, the mission of the family business has always been to help its valued customers create beautiful memories with the people they love. Visit www.baribaultjewelers.com.
The Connecticut Breast Health Initiative, Inc. is a statewide non-profit organization making a significant impact in the quest to find a cure for breast cancer by providing grants to support education and research in Connecticut. Founded in 2004, the group’s underlying goal is to find answers with 100% of the money raised remaining in Connecticut. To date, CT BHI has awarded $4.3 million in 107 grants to fund important breast cancer research and education projects in Connecticut. Each year, it strives to surpass this milestone with the help of its supporters, sponsors, and fundraising efforts.
About Breast Friends Fund
Sandy Cassanelli, a metastatic breast cancer survivor, created Breast Friends Fund (BFF) in 2016 as a fundraising initiative for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with a goal of finding a cure for the Stage 4 disease. All donated funds are earmarked "restricted" for Dr. Eric Winer, an internationally renowned metastatic breast cancer researcher, who is currently serving as Director of Yale Cancer Center and Physician-in-Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. Year to date BFF has raised over to $1,000,000 and growing each day. To ensure that a cure is found, BFF is volunteer-run, and operating costs are personally funded by Craig & Sandy Cassanelli. Sandy and her family feel a sense of urgency when it comes to supporting Dr. Winer and his team in their effort to find treatments and a cure for breast cancer for the future of our daughters, sisters, nieces, mothers, aunts, and friends. Visit www.breastfriendsfund.org for more information.
PHOTO #1: Baribault Jewelers presents a $1,500 check to the CT Breast Health Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to funding research in the state, as part of its charitable activities during October National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. From left: Cathy Baribault, Christina Baribault-Ortiz, Joyce Bray, executive director of the CT Breast Health Initiative, Raeann Baribault-Schwartz and Lewis Baribault, Jr.
PHOTO #2: Baribault Jewelers raised $2,000 for the Breast Friends Fund, a charity founded by customer Sandy Cassanelli, a metastatic, stage 4 breast cancer survivor, in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month during October. From left: Christina Baribault-Ortiz, co-owner of Baribault Jewelers, Sandy Cassanelli, founder and executive director of Breast Friends Fund, and Raeann Baribault-Schwartz, co-owner of Baribault Jewelers celebrate a successful charitable campaign.