When Life Hands You Lemons… Make Lemonade

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

When Life Hands You Lemons… Make Lemonade

Ruby Seeto’s newest fundraising tea towel in collaboration with Wallace Cotton is a gorgeous summery vision of lemons and vines, featuring a simple and fun recipe: “Pink Lemonade for Starship”. But there is a nod to her art imitating her own life as Ruby’s own introduction to Starship was less than idyllic.

Ruby’s Starship journey began in 2006 when she had major surgery to remove a 1.6kg tumour from her liver. She then went on to spend 12 months at Starship Hospital undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment.

The cancer survivor produced her first batch of tea towels at home and these were sold to the Seetos’ friends and family to raise money for the hospital that had helped to save Ruby’s life.

Wallace Cotton, one of New Zealand’s fastest growing homeware retailers specialising in luxurious and beautiful quality cotton, came on board the following year. Since then the relationship and popularity of the tea towels has grown and the now eight-year collaboration has raised more than $360,000 for Starship to date.

The Pink Lemonade tea towels and aprons are available to purchase online and in-store from today [Thursday 6 August 2015], with proceeds benefitting Starship’s oncology ward. The $10 tea towels are 100% thick cotton and $6 from every sale (all the proceeds after costs) goes to the Starship Foundation.

Now 18 years old, Ruby’s labour of love designing the tea towels has been strongly influential in her decision to pursue her design interests more seriously and she is now studying in her first year for a double major in Commerce and Design at Victoria University of Wellington.

Brad Clark, Chief Executive Starship Foundation, said; “Ruby is such a star for Starship and this latest tea towel is another stunning design in Ruby’s repertoire. She has turned her Starship experience and her creative passion into a truly amazing annual fundraiser for the national children’s hospital. Through the partnership with Wallace Cotton, this venture has had such a wonderful impact on the many children and their families who need Starship just like Ruby and her family did.”

Wallace Cotton Director Paula Wallace adds; “Our customers have huge affection for Ruby’s tea towels and we are so happy to help her bring this latest design to life for a worthwhile cause.”

The tea towel is available for purchase through Wallace Cotton stores nationwide, via free phone 0800 222 122, online at www.wallacecotton.com, or through Wallace Cotton stores in Newmarket, Takapuna, Albany & Ponsonby Central in Auckland, Tennyson Street in Napier, The Old Bank Arcade in Wellington, Ballantynes in Christchurch and Timaru and Arthur Barnett in Dunedin, in addition to Home etc. stores in Tauranga and Palmerston North and Homeward, Te Awamutu.

You can keep up with what Ruby is up to on her website www.rubyseeto.com or her Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/rubysteatowels.

ENDS

© Scoop Media