Fashion for a Cause: Cranberry Area Event Helps Women in Need

For seven years, Mary Kay representative Jen Albertini held a charity walk in the small town where she lived on the eastern side of Pennsylvania.

“Our little town was one of the top fundraisers for Mary Kay,” she said.

After moving to Cranberry last year, Albertini decided to keep up the charitable tradition—but this time she’s doing it with fashion.

Albertini has partnered up with Dress for Success Pittsburgh and Eye Kandy Boutique in Harmony for an evening of style, food and fun.

The Spring Shopping Extravaganza takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4 at Mars United Presbyterian, located at 232 Crowe Avenue in Mars.

Participants are welcome to bring their gently-used business attire, scrubs, jewelry, accessories and other grooming items to be donated to Dress for Success, a nonprofit that provides professional attire, a network of support and career development tools to underprivileged women.

Albertini said tax receipts are available for those who donate clothes to the organization.

There also will be live, interactive demonstrations with fashion, jewelry, organizing, body slimming, home décor, glamour tips, anti-aging and more from a number of different vendors.

Eye Kandy Boutique also will put on two mini-fashion shows. Owner Kandy Barkley will be giving away 15-percent off coupons to her clothing store to those in attendance at the event.

“I was so excited about that,” Albertini said.

In addition, there will be face painting, nail art and cookie sampling. Cranberry resident Christine Border, owner of C.Border Photography, will be on hand to snap professional headshots of attendees in exchange for donations.

Promoter Allie Koch also will be handing out information and selling tickets to upcoming music shows at The Center of Harmony in Harmony.

There is no fee to attend the event. Proceeds from donations will benefit the Mary Kay Foundation, a non-profit focused on helping research for cancers affecting women that also donates to shelters and programs that help try to put an end to domestic violence.

Albertini said she is especially looking forward to Saturday’s event because it brings together women from all around her new hometown.

“There are so many women here who just welcomed me with open arms,” she said. “It feels like I’ve been here forever.”

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