Non-profits like the Orphan Bracelet Campaign have to be entrepreneurial to survive. The same is true of  people in business. Put the two together and both benefit. That thought process by Orphan Bracelet’s volunteer Monique Watkins resulted in a unique event recently in the lovely town of Leesburg, Virginia: “Walk the Red Carpet for Charity”.

"Walk the Red Carpet for Charity"

Leesburg, for those of you who have not had the pleasure to visit, is a pcturesque town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It oozes tradition and small town charm. The streets are lined with old houses that have been turned into quaint shops selling everything from antiques to gifts and homemade candy.

Monique lives not far from Leesburg, so she has come to know the town. She bought the funky frames for her eye glasses in a small bungalow shop called Eyetopia, It features unusual bags, jewelry and the kind of eye glass frames you won’t find at a shopping mall optometrist.

Maggie-one of OBC's beaders with Monique Watkins

Monique with her 'Eyetopia' glasses.

The day she bought the frames from owner Paige Buscema, Monique was wearing a couple of orphan bracelets, one of the products we sell to raise money for HIVAIDS women and orphans in South Africa. Paige noticed the bracelets, which was all Monique needed to push our cause.  The shop owner agreed to sell the bracelets in her store.

At the time, Monique had been planning to screen “Angels in the Dust,” Louise Hogarth’s award-winning documentary about a woman who gave up her affluent Johannesburg lifestyle to start an orphanage in rural South Africa for children who have lost their parents to HIVAIDS. She was planning to hold the screening at the local theatre in Leesburg, but the theatre charged $500.00 to use its facility. That amount of money would have greatly reduced profits from the screening, so Monique approached Paige; they decided to hold an “outdoor screening” instead: in the lot behind her shop and use Monique’s van as the screen. Paige produced some high-thread count sheets to cover the vehicle, which was strategically placed to shield “theatre-goers” from the chilly mountain wind. Local papers did their part by covering the event and running a promo as an insert.

Paige says that once the word got out, people started coming to the store, asking about the Orphan Bracelets, even before the screening. Many bought other things as well.

The week of the event, it rained every day. Monique and Paige were hoping they didn’t have to cancel the event if the rain continued. It didn’t; the sun came out that afternoon. The night was colder than they would have wished, but it was clear. Members of the audience “walked a red carpet” as they entered the “theatre”, which was lit by candles and evening stars. Everyone was offered a gift bag, popcorn and other movie-style snacks. The audience was seated on chairs donated by a local church.

When the documentary began, the score swelled through the quiet night air,  compliments of Monique’s personal stereo and huge speakers. She says, “the setup and sound worked great.”

According to Paige and Monique, the audience was visibly moved by the story of the orphanage and the suffering inflicted on children by HIVAIDS. Many left the screening wearing a bracelet. “It will remind me of these children every day”

captive audience

The screening not only raised badly needed funds for orphans affected by HIV/AIDS crisis, it also was good publicity for Eyetopia. Personal profit was not Paige’s motivation. She says,  “I just wanted to DO something for the Orphan Bracelet Campaign.”   Due to the publicity of the event, many people in the area now know that they can go to Eyetopia to buy their bracelets.

We encourage other entrepreuners to recognize that good works can be good business.

Small businesses interested in selling the bracelets in their stores or offices can contact us at info@orphanbracelet.org.   Our bracelets also are available on our website and currently are sold at gift stores, health food stores, veterinarian offices, doctor’s offices, on college campuses, etc. etc.