As a highly regarded hypnotherapist, Sara McIntosh draws upon a lifetime of serving others.

Massage Envy, the nation’s premier massage clinic chain, takes their commitment to healthy minds and bodies a step further and gets out the pink ribbons for a very worthy cause. Massage Envy clinics throughout the Chicagoland area will host their first annual “Massage for the Cure” event all day on Monday, July 28, offering free one-hour therapeutic massages to help in the fight against breast cancer and collecting donations for the worthy cause. 100% of the customer donations collected that day will benefit the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
The event is open to the public and requires an appointment at any of the 15 Chicagoland Massage Envy clinics. The suggested donation is the value of the massage ($78), but any amount will be accepted. Several vendors will donate their products and numerous therapists will donate their tips for the day. All donations from Massage for the Cure will support breast cancer research as well as breast cancer education, screening and treatment initiatives in the Chicagoland area.
Massage for the Cure, an annual tradition for Massage Envy in several other markets, has raised over $350,000 to support local breast cancer efforts in just four years, and Chicago is expected to show similar generosity in contributions to the search for a cure. This year, Massage Envy's goal is to maintain maximum occupancy all day at each of its Chicagoland locations and increase the amount of funds raised for breast cancer programs.
"Massage Envy is extremely proud to be a supporter of the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and we greatly value the partnership that we have developed to raise funds for breast cancer efforts in our community" said John Leonesio, CEO and founder of Massage Envy. “This is a great chance to remember and honor those who have been affected by breast cancer, whether it is a spouse, parent, sibling or friend, through the relaxation of a massage.”
Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer, according to Komen for the Cure. The organization reports that American women have a 1 in 8 (12%) chance of developing breast cancer at some time in their lives. It is estimated that, in 2008, about 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women and about 40,480 women will die from the disease in the United States alone.
"We are so grateful for the support generated by Massage for the Cure and the dedication of Massage Envy’s owners, employees and clients,” said Karen Kliebhan, Development Manager of the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “This is certainly one of our larger fundraisers, and we are very fortunate to have so many Chicagoans dedicated to helping our cause through this fun event. We are hopeful that, through the generosity of people like this, we will one day have a cure for breast cancer.”
Appointments for Massage for the Cure can be made beginning Monday, July 21 and are limited to one reservation per person. Contact any Chicagoland Massage Envy clinic directly at ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬866-922-ENVY or visit www.massageenvy.com.

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Bethany Bawel, a member of the Five Seasons Sports Club in Northbrook, leads her life on her feet.

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