Event shows its bra power

CENTRAL GLENDALE — Danielle Lacharite Brown meticulously pulled the fragile wings off unusable collector’s butterflies with fine tweezers and glued the wings onto a bra, creating an organized color pattern and shape.

Lacharite Brown, who works for the Natural History Museum, entered the bra design into this year’s Bras for a Cause, an annual event where local organizations submit decorative bras, which are auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Lacharite Brown’s bra paid tribute to the Natural History Museum’s Pavilion of Wings exhibit, which allows visitors to walk through rooms full of butterflies. The colorful design of the bra was made using tropical butterfly wings.

“It was a very delicate process because the butterflies’ wings are fragile and break easily,” she said.

The complicated design didn’t go unnoticed at the women-at-work-themed event.

Her “Bra-vilion of Wings” design took the Most Beautiful Bra award.

Five other bras also won awards at the event, which the Soroptimist International of Glendale hosted at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Central Avenue.

Most Humorous Bra went to Daniel Guiterrez for his “Soroptimist Optometrist” design for a bra with large eyes, glasses and an eye chart. The Most Unique Bra went to P.P.G Inc., an interior design company, for its “Under Construction” design of a bra decorated in construction tools.

Beverley Scott won the People’s Choice Bra for her “Brassiere Patisserie Sweet Temptations” design for a bra decorated in frosting and pastries.

Most Unusual Bra was given to employees of the Marcia Ray Breast Cancer Center at Glendale Memorial Hospital for their use of bra cups as tea cups in their “Breast Cancer Awareness Tea Party” design.

“We just wanted to do something that was unique,” employee Alina Armandaryan said.

The Most Creative Bra award went to Teryl MacDougall and Shelley Buck for their “Miss Triple D” (double-down dealer) design of a Las Vegas- and poker-themed bra.

They worked on the bra for about 100 hours, MacDougall said.

“We wanted to make a jewelry-type bra,” she said.

Kathy Lefkovits came up with event six years ago and introduced the idea to the organization, which embraced the concept that has now been used by 12 other clubs nationwide.

Money raised at the event will benefit breast cancer services at Glendale Memorial and Verdugo Hills hospitals, Glendale Adventist Medical Center and women’s and girls’ charities.

Breast cancer survivor Guadalupe Mendoza said the decorated bras demonstrate a sense of empowerment for women.

Mendoza was diagnosed last year and has battled the disease every day.

“It’s getting better,” she said.

She is learning to overcome breast cancer by helping other patients at Glendale Adventist.

Funds from the event have helped pay for soft pads for mammogram machines at Glendale Memorial, counseling services for young women with breast cancer at Glendale Adventist and digital mammogram machines at Verdugo Hills, Soroptimist president Sandy Schultz said.

“We do a lot not only in our community, but we do it worldwide,” she said.