BUSINESS

Making Spirits Bright

SAINT Candles opens in Santa Monica

By Haley Beyer

Ira DeWitt, a music executive with a PhD in education, had a friend whose son was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. DeWitt wanted to come up with a unique gift so she created spiritual candles, which were a big hit, and SAINT Candles was ultimately born. In October, DeWitt hosted a grand opening for her new Santa Monica store on Montana Avenue, which was also a benefit for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The guest list included celebrities such as Cedric the Entertainer, comedian Heather McDonald and TV personality Audrina Patridge. “I am so grateful for the connections I have made to help me launch this company and get me to the point of opening our first store,” DeWitt said. DeWitt knew that opening in Santa Monica would really help establish the brand. “Santa Monica has a little bit of everything,” DeWitt said. “Our unique concept fits into the area and it’s a cozy neighborhood vibe with a cool twist.” DeWitt’s husband, William DeWitt III, is president of the St. Louis Cardinals. When a child with brain cancer wanted to connect with the Cardinals, DeWitt knew that she wanted to do more for other children in similar situations. It was through this experience that she learned about St. Jude, and she eventually formed a long-term partnership with the hospital. DeWitt’s most popular products are the SAINT Candles. The modern prayer candles are each named after a patron saint of the Catholic church and each saint is associated with a specific aspect of human life. The first candle DeWitt created was the Saint of Impossible Causes for her work with St. Jude. There are 15 candles in the line, each with a special meaning. “Each SAINT Candle comes with a prayer to the patron saint, holy oil as part of the wax, and a prayer coin embedded into the candle to help guide the person on their specific journey,” DeWitt said. Before lighting the candle, the prayer to the patron of the saint should be read out loud. The holy oil has been blessed by both a priest and a rabbi. The coin is revealed after the candle has burned all the way down and can be kept in one’s wallet, purse, car or anywhere safe. It can also be buried in one’s backyard for a household blessing, Because the candles hold such strong spiritual power, they had to be created with pure and clean ingredients. They are made from food grade wax with a soy coconut blend and are free of harmful chemicals. Every detail of the candle works toward its purpose. “There is no intention behind other candles,” DeWitt said. “These ones are created with spirituality in mind and the money goes to a good cause.” SAINT Candles has promised to give 10% of all proceeds to St. Jude to support their lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children. St. Jude covers the cost of all medical bills of the children so the families can direct 100% of their focus on the child and their recovery. So far, SAINT Candles has raised over $105,000 for St. Jude. The money will help the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children by providing treatments invented at St. Jude to push the childhood cancer survival rate from 20 to 80% since the opening of the hospital more than 50 years ago. The SAINT Candle line is available at the store in addition to roll-on perfumes, room sprays with holy oil, body creams, soaps, sanitizers and CBD products. SAINT Candles plans to continue expanding to get its message to a wider audience, but for now its focus is helping others, especially those at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “My hope is to continue sharing the benefits of the products while fundraising as much as possible for St. Jude,” DeWitt said. To join the St. Jude mission, visit stjude.org.

SAINT Candles

1327 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica 747-206-5393 saintcandles.com

SAINT Candles recently opened a new location in Santa Monica on Montana Avenue.