LONDON: As the beauty and fashion industry lead the pink charge for this year’s breast cancer awareness month, one US-based social enterprise has proven that not everything needs to change color to generate awareness.
This month Brides Against Breast Cancer (BABC) is donating 200 designer wedding dresses to brides in need.
The dresses – which usually sell for up to $2,000 – can be selected from the BABC online store after the bride-to-be has shared their story of why they need the help.
The only cost to the brides is the price of packaging and shipping. The campaign will be donating $100,000 worth of designer wedding dresses throughout the month.
BABC operates as an online store throughout the year, with a flagship retail shop based in Atlanta and national dress tour events around the country to generate funds from sales for breast cancer research.
The designer wedding dresses sold by BABC are donated by brides and bridal salons nationwide. The brands include Maggie Sottero, Casablanca and Vera Wang.
The designer wedding dresses sell for between $99 – $1,999 – or up to 80 percent off retail.
Since 1997, BABC has helped raise millions of dollars for breast cancer initiatives through the sale of more than 50,000 wedding dresses.
BABC’S CEO Drew Edwards said in a press statement: “We are pleased to help women in financial need for their wedding day while also raising awareness of breast cancer.”
Breast cancer awareness month is a global health movement that has grown to become one of the most highly anticipated annual events internationally.
The annual campaign aims to raise awareness of early breast cancer detection as well as to fundraise for essential life-saving research into the disease.
Brides against breast cancer initiative makes weddings even more special
Brides against breast cancer initiative makes weddings even more special
Chef serves up a taste of Spain at Ithra Cultural Days in Saudi Arabia
DHAHRAN: Among the attractions of the Ithra Cultural Days: Spain at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), visitors can try a tantalizing selection of Spanish foods — none more renowned than its famous paella.
Arab News spoke with chef Jose Zafra at the event, which runs until Jan. 31, who flew in from Spain to offer a taste of his homeland to the people of Saudi Arabia.
A “master rice cook, paella researcher and promoter,” according to his business card, his logo is even designed around the recognizable cooking pan and the phrase “Pasion por la paella,” or “Passion for paella.”
“That's why the pan is round because people get around and eat all together — to share culture and passion and life,” Zafra told Arab News as foodies lined up behind him, eager to try a plateful.
“It’s not just a food. It’s a link, a connection. Paella is the symbol of unity and sharing. And people now are going to try it — authentic Spanish paella in Saudi Arabia.”
The word “paella” comes from the Latin “patella,” meaning pan.
In Spanish, it refers both to the rice dish itself and the pan in which it is cooked.
Paella was introduced to Spain during Moorish rule. It originated in Valencia, on the country’s eastern coast, as a rural peasant dish that was cooked by farm workers over open fires using local ingredients. Over time, the dish’s popularity spread and other versions evolved, for example featuring seafood and meat.
It is different to Saudi Arabia’s kabsa, a communal dish which similarly uses rice and meat. Kabsa is cooked in a deep pot to ensure the rice stays soft and aromatic from the meaty broth, whereas paella uses a wide, shallow pan to fully absorb flavors evenly, often creating a prized crispy layer at the bottom.
Visitors to Ithra’s Culture Days can enjoy the flavors of Spain made with a sprinkling of local love — true to the origins of the dish.
Find the scoops of Spanish joy near the food truck area and try chicken paella, seafood paella —or both! You will see the signs offering a plate, at SR35 ($9) for chicken and SR40 for seafood, or let your nose lead you there.
Zafra concluded: “The chicken is from here, the seafood is from here — and the passion, well, that is from Spain.”
