A little of this, a touch of that and a fragrance to call their own. At “Hope in a Bottle,” the sweet purpose behind an afternoon of perfume making was every bit as important as the scents participants carried home.
The Sisters of Strength joined forces with the Sisterhood organization this past Saturday at the Northern Chowan Recreation Building, bringing more than 60 participants together to create custom fragrances while raising funds for the Cancer Society.
Beneath the gymnasium’s basketball hoops, black-draped tables held rows of small fragrance bottles, blending supplies and worksheets. Young girls sat alongside adults, studying the selections before them. Local women and a few gentlemen joined in, turning the recreation space into a community perfume workshop where each place at the table offered a chance to experiment.
The Sisters of Strength, whose work throughout Edenton and Chowan County helps meet the needs of local schoolchildren, brought that same spirit of care to a gathering focused on awareness, creativity and hope.
President Gloria Wadsworth welcomed the participants before Rose Cooper, Gwen Brown and Marcia Watford offered remarks on breast cancer prevention and early detection. Their message gave the afternoon its purpose: taking time to care for oneself and encouraging others to do the same.
Then came the fragrant part.
Kia Brown led participants through the art of perfume blending, supplying oils and a worksheet to help guide their combinations. With small bottles arranged within reach, participants explored how individual fragrances could come together in a scent of their own making.
The event showcased the appeal of the hands-on afternoon: children gathered closely around a table, adults leaning toward their supplies and groups sharing the experience across generations. The simple arrangement of bottles and worksheets invited everyone to take a turn at being a perfumer.
Each participant took home a bottle of their custom scent, a personal keepsake from an event with a shared purpose.
The gathering concluded with personal stories, a raffle giveaway and closing remarks from Wadsworth and Brown. Those stories brought the focus back to the people behind the cause and the value of coming together in support of one another.
“Hope in a Bottle” offered something that could be dabbed on a wrist and enjoyed long afterward. It also offered a reminder that care, like a lovely fragrance, can linger.
