San Diego, CA. The wellness experts from San Diego’s Spa Velia, winner of Day Spa Magazine’s Diamond Day Spa Award, donated massage therapists to the 11th Anniversary San Diego Race for the Cure, sponsored by the San Diego affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, on Sunday, December 2, 2007 in Balboa Park. Spa Velia massage therapists were in the Survivors’ Tent for this year’s event, providing complimentary chair massages to survivors from 6:30 am to 1:00 pm. Spa Velia’s graphic designer, Charles Van Vechten, of Van Vechten Creative Communications, also rendered Spa Velia’s logo in pink on a wallet size card containing the Optimists Creed (quoted below). All survivors visiting the tent received the card as an inspirational gift from the Spa Velia Team. (Sample lay-out attached below).
“Our business is health, wellness and beauty,” says Mary Plant, Spa Velia’s lead massage therapist, who was joined by two other therapists at the event. “We care deeply about women’s health, and by volunteering to be involved, we have an opportunity to show our care and support for breast cancer survivors in a way that is hopefully relaxing and beneficial for them.” This was Spa Velia’s second year participating in the event, although founding partners, Dana Stallings and Jody Rogers have been involved much longer. “We love to support this event, and have done so for several years,” says Rogers. She and Stallings have provided massage therapists for the Survivors’ Tent in years past while managing other high end Spas in the San Diego area. “We are thrilled that we now can offer the time and talents of our own top notch staff and plan to do so for many, many years to come” Stallings adds.
OPTIMISTS CREED
Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
“This run and fitness walk is more than a race for runners or fitness walkers, It’s a celebration of survival and the hope for a cure,” says Samantha McDonald, president of the San Diego Affiliate. “Every survivor is honored with a special shirt and cap – and they are welcomed to the Survivor’s Tent – a place of honor and nurturing, where they can come in and spend time before, during and after the Race. It is also an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to honor a loved one who has lost the battle with breast cancer, to show support of someone winning the battle now or to help raise funds to fight the disease.” 75 percent of the net funds raised in San Diego stay in the local community and are dedicated to programs that meet the breast health needs of the medically underserved. A minimum of 25 percent of the net proceeds from Race for the Cure supports the Komen Foundation Grant Program, which for the past 19 years, has provided much-needed funding for groundbreaking breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation created The Komen Race for the Cure® Series – the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world. Since the first Dallas Race in 1983, the Komen Race for the Cure Series has grown from one local Race with 800 participants to a national series with over 1.5 million participants expected in 2006.
Twenty-two years ago in Peoria, Illinois, Susan Goodman Komen died of breast cancer at the age of 36. Before she died, her sister, Nancy Goodman Brinker, made a promise to Susan that somehow she would make it better for other women diagnosed with the disease. In 1982, Nancy G. Brinker fulfilled her promise and established the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Today, the Komen Foundation sets new standards for creative collaboration in the fight against breast cancer by developing awareness and fundraising campaigns with a blue-chip network of corporate partners, national and local media, as well as health and community organizations.
Spa Velia, nestled between the Columbia/Little Italy Districts of downtown San Diego, is owned by a team of three entrepreneurs — with over twenty years of combined experience in spa management from some of the areas top spas — who shared a vision to create an intimate, old world luxury day spa, unlike any other available in America’s Finest City. The Spa’s motto is “sensory perfection,” and as a team of two women and a man, the owners understand how to cater equally to the needs of both male and female clientele. Spa Velia offers an expertly educated staff and features several one-of-a-kind amenities including the contemplative relaxation lounge, Swiss seven-head showers and the immensely popular Couples Suite. Since their Grand Opening in October, 2005, Spa Velia’s business has continued to grow steadily, as city dwellers, business types and downtown hotel guests alike discover this unique, old world escape from the stress of daily life. Spa Velia was recently voted by CitySearch’s audience as Best Day Spa and Best Massage 2007. Additionally, Spa Velia was just honored to receive Day Spa Magazine’s Diamond Award for Day Spa of the Year 2007!
Spa Velia is located at 401 West A Street, Suite 180 in San Diego (619.235.0000) www.spavelia.com.
