Until the end of the month, turn your guilty pleasure of reading in bed into a philanthropic act at the Fairmont Newport Beach. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when guests book the Bed and Breakfast package through Oct. 31, 5 percent of the proceeds will benefit breast cancer awareness organizations.
The package includes breakfast for two either for In-Room Dining (keep reading and enjoy breakfast in bed) or in the bambú restaurant. Nightly rates for the package start at $154.
At some point though, it will be worth getting out of bed, to see the brilliantly decorated hotel. Since Oct 1, the Fairmont has been decorated with pink orchids, illuminated with pink lighting and the Lobby Lounge staff, wearing pink ties, serves pink cocktails.
In bambú Restaurant & Lounge, guests can enjoy pink themed drinks such as the Pink Ribbon-tini, Great Cause-Mo-Politan and the signature drink, Berry Beautiful. For each pink cocktail purchased during the month of October, $1 will benefit breast cancer awareness organizations.
Whether you will be reading in bed, by the pool, or in the lounge, here are a few suggestions of titles keeping with the theme of Breast Cancer Awareness Month:
“Promise Me: How a Sister’s Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer” by Nancy G. Brinker with Joni Rodgers.
From a Publisher’s Weekly Review: “On a deathbed promise to her sister, Nancy (now Brinker) vowed to bring breast cancer out in the open, force people to “talk about it,” and find funding for a cure. In this deeply thoughtful, assertive, sensitive memoir of the sisters’ growing up and devotion to each other in life and death, Brinker chronicles the long path she trod to create Susan G. Komen for the Cure. With her marriage in 1981 to conservative Texas millionaire Norman Brinker, Nancy recognized she had a “platform” on which to build a foundation. High-profile breast-cancer cases such as Betty Ford’s, Nancy Reagan’s, and numerous others highlighted the cause, and in separate chapters Brinker delineates background and personal stories.”
“Lopsided: A Memoir” by Meredith Norton was named one of Oprah’s Book Club “Memoirs We Love: 10 Addictive True Stories” Norton’s humor and quick wit has been compared with that of David Sedaris. This tell-all, self deprecating, raw and honest memoir tells of Norton’s battle with breast cancer. At the time of diagnosis, Norton, a California native, had a 1-year-old son and lived in Paris with her French husband and their 1-year-old son.
The novel “Talk Before Sleep” by Elizabeth Berg is the story of two best friends Ruth, who is dying of breast cancer, and Ann who is taking care of her. This is the ultimate story of the power of friendship between women. Berg lost a dear friend to breast cancer, which is probably the reason this book is so spot-on and strikes such tender chords.
If you can’t make it to the Fairmont by the end of this month, you can still do your part.
Newport Beach hosted the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure on Sept 25 to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October and donations are accepted through Monday Oct 31. www.komenoc.org
To learn more about the Bed and Breakfast package benefiting breast cancer at the Fairmont Hotel go to www.fairmont.com/newportbeach or call 800-441-1414.
