Compo Beach Sweatshirt from Shelter Isle Apparel will keep you warm as fall winds hit the beach. Plus, purchasing it will help breast cancer patients—a portion of proceeds goes to Pink Aid. And that’s because of one breast cancer survivor here in Westport, Ilka Gregory. “We moved to Westport in 2020, not really knowing many people,” says Ilka. “Less than a year later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram. The group of friends we just met rallied around us during this very difficult time—and for the first time as a family, we felt a sense of community. I was gifted the sweatshirt as something cozy to lift my spirits. I reached out to the owner of Shelter Isle, Ana Gambuto, and told her I wanted to order one for each of the amazing women who supported and took such good care of me and my family. She offered to donate a portion of the sale to a charity of my choice. Together, we chose Pink Aid.”
When Ana happened to be passing through Westport last June, she snapped a photo of Ilka and her crew on Compo Beach. “I knew it was a big ask for my friends to take time out of their day,” says Ilka, “but they showed up just like they showed up when we didn’t even know how much we needed them. There were twenty-six of us on the beach that day wearing our Compo sweatshirts. It was the most beautiful sea of pink. What a magical town we live in.” Shop at shelterisleapparel.com.
