INSIDE SPA SWAG FOR WARRIORS: DC'S NEWEST BEAUTY VENTURE!

What started off as a generous care package to a best friend—a Marine Corps officer deployed in West Africa during the height of the Ebola Crisis—manifested into a fecund business concept for Lacey Chong. We go inside Lacey Chong's vision and take you behind the scenes of the new philanthropy taking the District by storm!

As with most success stories, Lacey Chong found a demand for a blind-area market and immediately took action in spawning, what is now considered the “It” philanthropic business of the season, Spa Swag For Warriors.

In Fall 2014, Lacey Chong made a common and, retrospectively, life-altering move when she decided to spend the holiday season collecting various beauty products for her best friend—a Marine Corps officer stationed in West Africa—and her fellow women comrades. Noting that most of the women lacked anything beyond daily essentials (e.g., basic soap and toothpaste), Lacey made it her mission to find the best beauty products she could find - mainly from family and friends, as well as local women-owned businesses whom were all willing to donate. The goal was to collect products that women abroad could appreciate in the form of a care package, otherwise known as “spa swag bags." As the number of outgoing shipments skyrocketed, so did the response from the soldiers. Quickly afterwards, Spa Swag For Warriors was born.

“A little bit of luxury can go a long way in making you feel better about your situation and yourself," stated Lacey. With in-kind donations and corporate donations from high-quality companies, such as Cate McNabb, Tom's of Maine, and Murad, she is able to package the lovely “spa swag bags” with the most luxurious spa items, but not without testing them first. Lacey prides herself in sending the ladies natural and organic, preferably cruel-free, products.

As business expands and opportunities arise, Lacey shared with us some goals for Spa Swag this year. In

2015, she plans to: mail 50+ large boxes full of lovely Spa Swag bags to women in the military, secure three corporate sponsors that support our women-for-women approach in an effort to push a 100% corporation-donated items business model (her dream partners being Sephora, Bluemercury, LUSH, Aveda, and Josie Maran), procure investment funding as well as donations online and fundraiser events, and formulate relationships with local area businesses who will become long-term Spa Swag supporters (including Phillips Collection, Cherry Blow Dry Bar Arlington, Malmaison, and Tranquil Space). As of now, Lacey’s yoga studio, Tranquil Space, has been supportive of the Spa Swag For Warriors efforts over the years; including, donating bath and body items for Spa Swag.

Want to learn more about Spa Swag For Warriors? Come out to the Gryphon's Happy Hour on Wednesday, March 25th, where JBC events will feature Spa Swag as the happy hour charity for this month! Enjoy great cocktails, meet Lacey Chong, and learn more about the newest philanthropy making waves in DC! View more details HERE!