When Jamie Johnston Masson was diagnosed with breast cancer last March at the age of 33, she was in shock.
Then several months ago, the Ottawa resident — who finished her treatment last week — started thinking of ways she could help.
The owner of Groovy Linen rentals, Masson and her friend, Stacey Price — a wedding planner and owner of Marry Me Productions — naturally gravitated towards weddings. Last month, The Breast Dress Project was born.
The duo is asking former brides to donate their wedding dresses. The dresses will be cleaned and sold to brides-to-be at about half the ticket price with all proceeds going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Masson and Price — who were the first to donate their own dresses, know how difficult it is to let a dress go.
But where donating money equivalent to the value of the dress may not be a realistic option, donating a dress could have a huge impact, said Masson.
A single dress could potentially bring in $300, $500 and $800 for breast cancer, she said. “Why leave your wedding dress in a box when it makes such a difference?”
In addition to supporting a good cause, it also gives brides who may not be able to afford new dresses a way to buy the gowns of their dreams.
Once a bride herself, Masson knows what a special experience dress shopping is.
“We still want them to have that experience,” said Masson, who plans to host soirees where women can try dresses on.
Donations can be dropped off at Groovy Linen at 19 Grenfell Cres., unit 12. More information can be found at www.thebreastdressproject.com or on Facebook.
