Accessory to Success:

How pretty little beads are helping make a big difference
in the lives of women with ovarian cancer

Seeking a cure for ovarian cancer does not excuse one from accessorizing properly. Just take it from Natick, Massachusetts-based Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer, a 501(c)(3) organization whose pursuit of a cure for ovarian cancer has often applied a fashionable twist. Founded in 2006 by Patricia Franchi Flaherty, Ovations has hosted numerous fundraising fashion shows, partnering with the likes of the well-heeled shoe designer Stuart Weitzman and foremost fashion icon Carmen Marc Valvo, to date raising over 1.25 million dollars for ovarian cancer research.

Ovations is unique in its three-pronged approach to fighting ovarian cancer. The organization not only supports ovarian cancer research and treatment initiatives, it also works toward increasing disease awareness, and using patient support programs to provide hope and comfort to those currently battling the disease.

One such program, called Happy Feet, is geared toward boosting patient morale and is gaining a wide following nationwide. Funded entirely by donations, pairs of Stuart Weitzman jelly shoes encrusted with teal blue Swarovski crystals are sent to women undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer. The shoes are dainty, yet appreciably expandable—just the thing for accommodating the lost sense of femininity and the increased fluid retention so often brought on by chemotherapy.

Recently, Ovations also joined forces with Confidence Beads, an online retailer of Italian glass beads that feature inspirational, woman-to-woman messaging intended to provide encouragement to the wearer and remind her of her unique worth. Confidence Beads began as an off-shoot of Back to Business, a multi-faceted service that guides women through the difficult process of re-entering the workforce. Interestingly, the link between Ovations and Confidence Beads is much more than commercial: ovarian cancer claimed the life of the mother of Back to Business/Confidence Beads founder Linda Waters, as well as the lives of the Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer founder and her mother.

Shoppers at ConfidenceBeads.com can now choose from seven different inspirational beads, each with coordinating messages of motivation and support. The themes of the beads play directly to the heart of the woman who is changing her own future, and currently include titles such as Believe, Congrats, Fabulous, Fearless, Go Girl!, Hottie, and Survivor. From each purchase, Confidence Beads then donates $1 to Ovations for the Cure and $1 to New Hope, a non-profit human service organization working to end the cycle of domestic violence and promote safer, stronger family lives.

“Even if supporting the largely underserved ovarian cancer cause happens one dollar at a time, every dollar still counts,” says Ovations president Paul Flaherty, who took over the position of organization president after his wife passed away in August of 2008. “What’s important is that everyone can do something at some level to help fight this disease. Slowly but surely, Ovations is helping to build a scientific knowledge base. We’re helping women be able to look for signs of this disease before it finds them first. And we’re helping to make surviving ovarian cancer a feasible reality.”

Whether shoppers buy Confidence Beads with the intent of supporting a worthy cause, encouraging a friend, or just picking up a beautiful bead for themselves, they initiate the momentum of positive change in the lives of women. And nothing wears more beautifully than that.

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