Girl's Got Courage

Being a part of last year's Bust a Move committee inspired Ottawa native Carolynn Lacasse to amp up her game and raise even more money for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation in 2013.

Late last year she designed, produced and began selling two beautiful bracelets for charity. Her original goal was to raise $2,000 by March. After reaching that before Christmas she has since doubled the goal she originally set in December and is looking to raise $4,000 by the end of February.

Photo taken from the Courage Brand website.

The bracelets have a very simple design that compliment any style and are the perfect addition to a stack of bracelets, or 'arm party' as we've come to know them.

"The bracelet idea came to me while shopping at Viens Avec Moi, I love that store and they have a really good collection of jewellery," she says. 

"One time I was shopping there, buying a bracelet for one of my girlfriends and I thought, 'this is a really great gift' it was really simple -- one bead -- and I thought, what if I made it myself? What if I did it as a fundraiser."

Lacasse brought her idea to Viens Avec Moi co-owner Renee Morra, who was completely behind the idea of creating a bracelet fundraiser right from the get-go.

"I thought it was a great idea and 100 per cent of proceeds go to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation," says Morra. "Cancer pretty much touches everyone in a certain way, for myself it has on my mothers side, that’s why when Carolynn came to me with the idea I thought, OF COURSE."

Morra and Lacasse brainstormed together and decided to sell the bracelets exclusively at Viens Avec Moi. 

All of the branding and supplies were donated to Lacasse and she puts the bracelets together herself, which allows the entire profit from the bracelets go straight to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.

The "Fearless" bracelet, taken from the Courage Brand website

The "Traverse" bracelet, taken from the Courage Brand website

Lacasse says that the name in front of the brand – Courage – serves as an inspiration to everyone who may be affected by cancer.

“I think that after being close to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, I realized that everyone in that organization has a lot of courage, the people who go there who are facing cancer, also the families and friends who are touched by it,” she says.

“Those people have a lot of courage and give a lot of support, that’s why I chose it,” says Lacasse. “That’s not the only reason though, every person goes through things that they need courage for, and its just a little reminder on your wrist to have the courage to do what you want.”

Lacasse says that she may continue the brand over to the Fall or even design a new line of Courage bracelets for the Spring.

Both designs of Courage bracelets are available at Viens Avec Moi, and sell for $20 each. So far Lacasse has raised $2,640 for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, and with a little under three weeks to go, I am positive that she will reach her new goal.