Bikinis, Cowboy Hats, and Special Olympics Calgary

Fashionable young professionals in Calgary are most likely familiar with espy (pronounced ess-pea), a well-curated clothing store in Inglewood that provides men and women with a one-of-a-kind shopping experience focused on instilling confidence and love for yourself and your body by helping customers find an outfit that works with their strengths, features, and personal style. But this shop is not only special because of its unique approach to shopping; the crew at espy, led by Megan Szanik, are true community partners.

Their most recent fundraising initiative is #bikiniespy, a fundraising initiative for Special Olympics Calgary that coincides with the centennial celebration of the Calgary Stampede. In the early hours of Saturday, July 7th, 100 women will line up in their bikinis and cowboys boots and receive clothing (valued at $500) from Fidelity Denim, Mavi Denim, RD Style, and Smithbilt hats in return. To participate, you must donate a minimum of $50, but you are encouraged to seek out further sponsorship above this minimum amount. At the end of the day, espy hopes to raise $50,000 for Special Olympics Calgary.

Although there are less than 100 days to go until the event, there is still plenty of time to get yourself in shape for #bikiniespy. Espy’s Jaclyn Cerciello is getting bikini-ready with Fit & Fierce Bootcamp. You can follow her weekly training on her blog, #bikiniespy 2012.

If you are looking for a flexible approach to boot camp training that works with your busy schedule, FitBody Boot Camp Calgary offers indoor training (read: you won’t get rained out and won’t have to contend with bugs) with motivating, top-notch trainers throughout the week. As an added bonus, you can book your weekly sessions (Monday through Saturday) online. FitBody also goes a step above many boot camp programs to offer Calgary YPs with an initial consultation, monthly follow-up assessments and a meal plan. 

Sounds like there are no downsides to this initiative: get in shape, support an amazing charity, and get some free clothes. See you in line on July 7th!