INSPIRE

KELLY KINAHAN AND THE APPLES OF DISCOVERY

Local wellness educator goes picking for the positives with Beak & Skiff

Jason Klaiber

An old saying contends that one bad apple spoils the bunch, but to wellness educator Kelly Kinahan of Syracuse, some of those good apples deserve not to be discarded.

While hoping to both avoid naïveté about present troubles in the world and counterbalance the negativity she traces back to news channels and social media outlets, Kinahan has sought to shine a spotlight on what she calls the “love and light” in life.

This mission led her to team up with Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards for the launch of the “Good Apple” campaign this past fall.

The campaign, which kicked off Oct. 5, involves the donation of all proceeds raised from purchases of a custom line of apparel to local nonprofit PEACE Inc., specifically its mentoring program Big Brothers Big Sisters, its early childhood development service Head Start and its Family Resource Centers located throughout Onondaga County that come to the aid of low income individuals.

As stated on its official website, PEACE Inc. focuses on helping people in the local community realize their potential and become self-sufficient.

For the campaign, the Beak & Skiff logo was fused with a symbol Kinahan had tattooed of a heart shape filling out a circle that represents Earth, denoting the spirit of her favorite Bob Marley anthem, “One Love.”

The apparel options include a women’s scoop-neck sweatshirt, a women’s v-neck T-shirt and a crew-neck tee designed for men. The clothing, laundered for reduced shrinkage, was ordered from Rochester-based screen printer and embroiderer Grizzly Graphics Outfitters Inc., for which Kinahan’s brother-inlaw Erik Mort serves as the operations manager.

The idea that blossomed into the recent “Good Apple” endeavor originated at an August yoga retreat organized by Fayetteville studio Mindful Yoga, where Kinahan had met Marianne Brennan, Beak & Skiff’s co-owner and senior director for brand development. The two had been paired together for a meditative exercise involving prolonged staring into each other’s eyes from a specified distance, which sparked an instant connection.

As they left the site, Kinahan and Brennan began conversing about the ideograph the former’s tattoo depicts, a now-trademarked symbol which adorns her Jeep’s tire cover and the shirt she wore the day of the excursion.

Within a month, they had put the finishing touches on designs for the new apparel line and had established contact with Sharon Thompson, the marketing and special events director for PEACE Inc.

“Marianne and I wanted to support a local nonprofit with programs that support the youth in our county,” Kinahan said. Kinahan acknowledges that she may never meet the children and the families the campaign will assist, but she said she takes pleasure in knowing the project could change others’ lives for the better.

The autumn-through-winter campaign ties back to the Pro*Ject LoVe movement she initiated for the purpose of collaborating with artisans to design “high-quality” products and benefit nonprofits either through a larger company or directly, past recipients of support being the eating disorder treatment center Ophelia’s Place and the abuse prevention organization Vera House. “Month after month, it’s a snowball,” she said. “Wherever the project is meant to go, it’ll go, but I'm trying for now to start local.” The positivity-centered objective of Kinahan’s personal blog, called K.K. Discovers after her initials, has acted as something of a spiritual compass. The blog, along with its corresponding Instagram page, is part travelogue and part health and wellness guide. Kinahan, who has been diagnosed with Lyme disease and shows symptoms of multiple sclerosis, shares information about her mental and physical progression through the struggles of her afflictions along with nods to holistic and natural approaches she finds useful. On top of featuring yoga bags and other apparel for sale, she also posts free-to-watch Pilates instruction videos to kkdiscovers.com to help people strengthen their bodies and alleviate pains. “Whether you’re a mom at home with kids now or somebody who just financially can’t afford a yoga or Pilates class, I just want to share that with people,” she said. Kinahan, by day the president of facilities services company Kinahan Associates LLC, said she hopes her passion projects can, at some point, morph into a full-time venture. “Good Apple” apparel, previously available in-store at the grounds on Cherry Valley Turnpike in LaFayette, can still be purchased online. More information can be found on beakandskiff.com under the “Shop” tab. “I love how people throughout our community and beyond come to Beak & Skiff to support their efforts, enjoy a variety of apples and other staples while creating lasting memories,” Kinahan said. “Through the 'Good Apple' campaign, all of us can show how a simple act can truly make a positive impact on the lives of others." SWM