Blog Post #8, Story 5

Fashion For Awareness

Rebecca Bowers, manager of a small business shop called Crystal House, arranges an annual fashion show. This public event took place on Saturday, October 15^th in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Following the fashion show was a raffle. Every twenty dollars spent bought a raffle ticket. Customers could also buy tickets without buying merchandise. The raffle drawing was for a Harvey’s brand breast cancer “Get Checked” handbag.

Bowers purchased the handbag, along with a stock of several other Harvey’s bags; 39 percent of the proceeds for the $194 dollar bag went to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Bowers said the show draws a lot of business during a very slow time of the year. She added that the show helped to boost sales and drew a crowd to a business mall where small business owners have been seeing a decline in sales over the last few years.

Stephanie Fassett, one of the women employed at Crystal House and a model for the fashion show, said, “We’ve done three shows so far. We started them in the fall of 2010. The last one we did was to raise money for multiple sclerosis. Rebecca actually rode in the MS bike-a-thon.”

The women who work at the shop doubled as the fashion show models. The show featured women of all ages and sizes wearing an array of clothing, ranging from casual to dress clothes.

After the fashion show, the models greeted anyone who visited the store. There was fall-themed food and drink available to everyone, including hot coffee and cider, chocolate covered fruit, red velvet cupcakes, and sandwiches made of cinnamon bread and ham.

October is a busy month for Crystal House, with many sales and events that are open to the public.  These events include a patio sale weekend in which several of the neighboring small businesses partake, which features a petting zoo and clearance-priced merchandise. Crystal House is located at 445 99^th Ave. N.W. in Coon Rapids, near Showplace Theater and Sammy’s Pizza.

Blog Post #5 - Story 3

Always Wear A Helmet

Marsha L. Taylor, 37, of Coon Rapids is an avid bicyclist. She is recovering from injuries she received when she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle.

She was initially diagnosed with a mild concussion, a broken neck, six broken ribs, a broken arm, and a broken pelvis. Because of Taylor’s broken neck, also called a “hangman’s fracture,” doctors believe it a miracle that she wasn’t paralyzed.

At the rehabilitation facility, doctors discovered further complications. Her intestines were perforated and her liver and gall bladder were injured, causing jaundice. “When my mother saw me, she said I looked like a Halloween pumpkin,” said Taylor.

Taylor started bicycling after graduating college. She said that cycling was a way of filling time and keeping fit. She got involved in cycling groups and some races, including the annual Governor’s Bicycle Tour across the state this year. She also rode in a tour across the U.S. in the fall, tallying more than 3,500 miles this year.

Despite the accident, Taylor’s attitude about cycling has not changed; she still likes to ride. If necessary precautions are taken, such as wearing protective clothing and a helmet, bicycling is safe. “I never ride unless I have my helmet. It probably saved my life this time,” stated Taylor.