Hard to believe but 2017 is wrapping up.
Maria Luisa Boutique first opened its doors in Nyack back in 1987, which made this year quite the milestone.
You know we like a good party, so for us, our 30
th
anniversary gave us plenty of reasons to celebrate – often – throughout the year.
As we look back, there are some special memories.
The early months of the year flew by, highlighted by
Earth Day
events, our
Mother’s Day
celebrations and various spring shopping events.
June was a big month, with us winning the “
Rockland Pride Center
- 2017 Dress Your Business for PRIDE” award for “
Most Unique
” display for our window décor in recognition of Pride month.
On June, we also presented our third annual
ML by Maria Luisa Scholarship
to
Melissa Denizard
of Spring Valley High School, a National Honor Society member, activist and filmmaker. During this year’s award presentation/celebration, Maria announced that the guidelines for the program open to Rockland County female high-school seniors are being broadened to embrace applicants who
identify as female
. In 2018, it’s also hoped that there will be a second scholarship presented, one specifically to a student at Nyack High School.
The following month, we were proud to have gathered such a large team – some 80 women strong – to participate in the
30
th
annual Women’s Distance Festival
5K Walk/Run. The July 8 event at Rockland Lake State Park in Congers, a benefit for the Center for Safety & Change, marked not only our 30
th
anniversary but also the event’s 30
th
anniversary and Maria’s own 60
th
birthday.
The sense of camaraderie, the importance of the cause and the funds raised by the team sparked yet another chapter in the Maria Luisa story – the formation of
#MLFavesForGood
initiative.
Envisioned as a way to capitalize on the spirit of that special day, the initiative is a concrete way to continue efforts to help the local nonprofit community, with 2018 events already being planned.
(Coming up first is our forming a team to participate in the Jan. 6
Resolution Run Nyack
4-Mile Fun Run/Walk to End Hunger; join our #
MLFavesForGood
team – or simply support us with a donation – at
nyackhunger.com
.)
Leading up to our official anniversary party, we spotlighted a number of our longtime customers – turning them into models showing off their favorite fashions purchased at Maria Luisa over the years. The “
30 Looks of 30 Years” was not only fun but also a chance to officially recognize our enduring style. (And we had a lot of fun with our trivia contest, too, so thanks to all who participated).
In October, we pulled out all the stops for our
30
th
anniversary
bash, celebrated on the 19
th
– when we welcomed customers old (and new). It was a wonderful party filled with memories, laughter, shopping, dancing and so much more.
And that party spirit continued soon after with the annual
Halloween Parade
. This year,
Nyack’s
trademark event was also marking its own 30
th
anniversary this year; our day began with our annual
Doorbuster Sale
capped by marching along with our friends at Keep Rockland Beautiful.
Soon after the anniversary celebration, Maria Luisa was once again recognized by those in the community, this time with an honor from the
Rockland County Legislature
as one of the county’s outstanding minority and women business owners.
November was our chance to again give thanks, which we did.
We thank our customers’ loyalty and support, which allowed us to conduct successful drives for local nonprofit organizations. We collected new undergarments and sweat clothes for the women served by the
Center for Safety & Change
, followed soon after by our annual food drive for those served by People to People.
Closing so the Maria Luisa team members could celebrate Thanksgiving Day with their own families and friends, we re-opened on “Black Friday” to kick off a full weekend that included Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday – and the start of our annual open-every-day-through Christmas Eve (yes, Mondays, too) schedule.
Throughout the year we welcomed new neighbors – and officially teamed up with a number of our fellow South Broadway South of Hudson merchants for “
Shop Late, Shop Local
” nights throughout the holiday season.
December also found us hosting our annual Holiday/Wish List party, another successful day-into-evening event when we had the chance to again celebrate this year, our customers and the wonderful spirit of this community.
We thank you for making 2017 a most special year for
Maria Luisa
– and wish you all, our loyal customers, a happy and healthy new year.
As Maria Luisa says, “I’m excited about the upcoming year and creating new shopping possibilities… We’re continuing to create a shopping destination that always feels like home, where everyone is family.”