By Adrienne Fawcett

What do you do when you need 1,500 candles for a benefit but don’t have the money to pay for them and can’t get anyone to donate them?

If you’re Vicki Douvlis, you start a candle company.

Vicki is on the Children’s Service Board of Children’s Memorial Hospital along with three other women from Lake Forest, Jenience Higgins, Mary Hess and Beth Parsons. A year ago, they were planning the Annual Gold Coast Fashion Award Show, the board’s major fund-raising event, and they were having trouble keeping costs down.

“The economy was getting tough, so we had to be creative in getting things done,” said Vicki. “We talked about different gift ideas, and the one that sounded the most special was a candle. I tried to solicit companies, and even with family connections I could not get a donation for 1,500 candles.”

Vicki decided to take matters into her own hands by starting her own candle collection–and not just to fill the gift bags for the fund-raising event.

“I thought, why stop there?” she said. “Why not create a candle collection that could keep on giving because proceeds from each sale would be donated to Children’s Memorial Hospital. “

With support from her family, she contacted U.S.-based vendors, many of whom were moved by Vicki’s efforts to help Children’s Memorial Hospital and offered prices that made it possible to start production. She used her kitchen table as a laboratory, experimenting with different oils, fragrances and waxes. And she recruited friends and acquaintances to act as research assistants who came over to smell, hold and view the test products.

“My husband would come home and laugh at all of the glass samples, soy wax, wicks and oils in our home,” she said.

She called the business Cloud 9 Candle Co. and named the collection The Dream Collection. It includes six scented, premium soy-blend candles, made entirely of U.S. components. The candles burn with a lead-free cotton wick flickering against a frosted glass. With each candle purchase, Cloud 9 gives a portion of profits to Children’s Memorial Hospital, which cares for more than 126,000 children yearly.

Vicki’s motto is that lighting a Cloud 9 candle does more than brighten up a room; it helps brighten the future of the many children hoping to live to their full potential. To date, Cloud 9 has donated $35,640 in candles and $10,780 in cash to the hospital.

“I’m happy with what we have been able to give back to the hospital because the hospital and the incredible doctors have taken care of my children,” she said. “It’s been a great experience and if we continue to sell more candles, then we can produce more, sell more and give more.”

Vicki is hosting a benefit for Children’s Memorial Cardiology on Feb. 10 in her home from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 7 to 9 p.m. and on Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is called The Unique Boutique and will feature Cloud 9 candles along with items from several other local vendors.

To view the Cloud 9 collection and learn more about the candles, please visit www.cloud9candles.com

To learn more about the hospital, please visit wwwchildrensmemorial.org