I love the spa industry. I’ve long preached that spas are places of healing and renewal—and that each and every spa has a responsibility to insure that every guest that walks through its doors leaves feeling better, and with new tools to help them live a healthier life. So I was overjoyed to learn about Sparks of Light and to speak with its founder, Vicky Weis.
The Back Story
In 2005, Weis started Faye’s Light, a 501 (c) 3, not-for-profit organization providing spa services and holistic therapies to those undergoing active treatment for cancer. Faye’s Light was named in honor of Weis’s mother who underwent a 13-month journey with cancer. This September, Faye’s Light celebrated 10 years and 16,000 services.
“My goal is to make somebody’s life better right now—to do what I did for my mom,” shares Weis. “The people who show up and provide the spa services—and those who walk through our doors to receive services—they have changed our lives and we have changed their lives. We’re there to hold an energy field of unconditional love for them for an hour or two.”
My goal is to make somebody’s life better right now—to do what I did for my mom . . . we’re there to hold an energy field of unconditional love for an hour or two . . .
What is Sparks of Light?
It’s a brilliant one-day event that allows participating spa professionals across the country to offer their healing gifts for free to those battling cancer. Weis’s (whose maiden name just happens to be Sparks) mission is to get the word out and to reach more people. With Sparks of Light, she wants to teach spa professionals how to create something similar in their community, using similar resources. “I will give you the simple blueprint,” she states, “and you can modify it for what works best for you. My mission is cancer, but if yours is MS or Parkinson’s, apply it to your heart’s passion and do your work. It’s not complicated.” Weis provides excellent, thoughtful guidelines for Sparks of Light, including what to be aware of when working on cancer patients.
Kudos to these Inaugural Participating Spas
The first annual Sparks of Light Day was November 2nd, and 14 spas across the country stepped up to the plate. Those spas are:
- Advanced Dermatology Associates, Owensboro, Kentucky
- Align Spa, Park City, Utah
- Charleston Medical Spa, Charleston, South Carolina
- Facelogic Spa Murphy, Murphy, Texas
- Hiatus Spa & Retreat, Austin, Texas
- Hiatus Spa & Retreat, Dallas, Texas
- Hiatus Spa & Retreat, Plano, Texas
- Journey Spa at the Tides Inn, Irvington, Virginia
- Miami Plastic Surgery, Miami, Florida
- Skin Deep Day Spa, Campton Hills, Illinois
- Skin Envy Studio/Day Spa, Sequim, Washington
- Skin Trust, Palos Heights, Illinois
- One Ocean Resort & Spa, Atlantic Beach, Florida
- Spa Sydell, Woodstock, Georgia
A special shout-out to Jim Chenevey of EarthLite and to Chris Birchby of Coola, the two companies that generously sponsored the first annual Sparks of Light Day.
InsidersGuidetoSpas encourages spas across the nation to get involved with this very worthy cause. Wouldn’t it be great if Sparks of Light was more than just one day? For more information, contact Weis at fayeslight@att.net, or visit Faye’s Light.
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. An advocate for all things spa, Mary forged a vocabulary for spa reportage that is widely used by those who cover the issues today. Recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness by Medika Life, Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award. Her spa media roots run deep—in 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, in 2007, she co-founded Organic Spa magazine, and in between serving on the ISPA and NYSPA Board of Directors, she was on the launch teams of Luxury SpaFinder and New Beauty magazines. Named a "Wonder Woman of Wellness" by American Spa magazine, Mary was honored by the International Spa Association with the distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. She is a special advisor to the non-profit Global Wellness Day.
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