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Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Caring Causes: The Power to B and Breast Friends Foundation

 According to the American Cancer Society, about 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women across the United States this year and 25% of them will have metastatic or stage 4 breast cancer.  One woman who  has chosen to look at her disease not as a burden, but as a way to help others is Glastonbury resident Sandy Cassanelli, who founded Breast Friends Fund (BFF), a non-profit organization dedicated to research and treatment of metastatic breast cancer.  Now, Cassanelli charity is getting a boost from her BFF retailer - Baribault Jewelers and its premier The Power to B bracelet collection.  Specifically, the family-owned business is hosting a Charity Shopping Event on Thursday, October 132022, as well as offering a limited-edition The Power to B pink and silver bracelet throughout October National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in which BFF will receive 20% of the proceeds from both jewelry programs.

“As a long-time customer, friend and neighbor, we support and applaud Sandy’s commitment to find a cure for metastatic breast cancer,” said Christina Baribault Ortiz, co-founder of The Power to B.  “In fact, her positive spirit and unwavering determination to raise awareness for this type of breast cancer was our inspiration in creating the ‘B Strong’ power word for The Power to B collection.”


The Power to B
 bracelets encourage its wearers to B Strong, B Fierce, B Badass, B Limitless or B Fearless by linking the cursive phrases with a colorful cord or chain. The commemorative BFF bracelet is pink and silver, the signature colors of breast cancer awareness. The bracelet, which retails at an affordable $68 is available starting October 1, 2022 until inventory lasts at Baribault Jewelers’ store located at 81 Rankin Road in Glastonbury and on The Power to B website and at Water Street Jewelers in Guilford and Madison, CT.

Besides the month-long bracelet campaign, Baribault Jewelers is also hosting a Charity Shopping Event on Thursday, October 13, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. in which 20% of the proceeds from all jewelry purchases in the store and online will be donated to BFF.

Cassanelli further notes that 100% of monies raised through her volunteer-run non-profit are directed to Dr. Eric Winer, one of the foremost researchers on metastatic breast cancer in the country, who is leading a team of researchers at Yale New Haven Health’s Smilow Cancer Hospital.  Besides serving as Director of the Yale Cancer Center, Dr. Winer is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and President-Elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology(ASCO).

About The Power to B

Created by sisters and designers Christina Baribault Ortiz and Raeann Baribault Schwartz in 2019, The Power to B fine jewelry collection aims to bring women together in joyful empowerment. The stunning 14k gold- or gold-plated phrase bracelets, necklaces and rings remind women to B Strong, B Fierce, B Badass, B Limitless or B Fearless. The Power to B is about being fearless enough to speak your dreams into the world and being strong enough to turn them into reality. Learn more at thepowertob.com.

About Breast Friends Fund

Sandy Cassarelli, 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.  As of 2022 BFF has raised close to $900,000 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.

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