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Charley’s Fund Opens A Boutique in Stockbridge
Everywhere you go in the Berkshires you see women wearing chunky charm bracelets with smiley face discs. “The ‘Believe” bracelet in sterling silver is our best-selling item,” says Tracy Seckler, the Egremont mom who runs Charley’s Fund, a Berkshire-based not-for-profit foundation devoted to raising funds to develop treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the fatal pediatric disease her nine-year-old son, Charley, is fighting. For the past couple of years, Seckler has been raising money by selling merchandise such as tank tops and hoodies online and at special events. “We have a great online business but we really wanted to reach more people, which is why we decided to open a store. We really wanted more people to hear our story.”
Seckler decided to open in Stocbridge because her friend Ali Aronoff, who owns Peace, Love & Chocolate in the Stockbridge Mews, had been successfully selling a small assortment of Charley’s Fund items for the past 18 months. “When the space next to Ali’s became available, I realized we could move our office there and have a shop in the front,” says Seckler, who had a soft opening in July, and is having a grand opening on Thursday, August, 12, from 5 - 7 p.m. (Altough the store has posted opening hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week through leaf season, you should be understanding if the store is not open because, as Seckler expains, “we’re staffed entirely by volunteers.”) Seckler learned right away that tourists like Berkshires memenots, so she is stamping or embroidering “Homegrown in the Berkshires” on items made or designed here. She’s been selling a lot of $45 picnic blankets that have a water-resistant back and a super soft top. “It’s the most useful thing on earth!” she says. “It’s perfect for Tanglewood or the beach. I keep one in my car at all times.” She’s also got umbrellas, sparkly evening bags, and lime green lunch boxes, which have all been designed by Studio Two of Lenox. “And if you come to the grand opening, you get to meet Charley and get a free Charley’s Fund temporary tattoo.”
Charley’s Fund Store at The Mews
36 Main Street, Stockbridgel 413.298.4300
Daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Grand Opening: August 12, 5 - 7 p.m.
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