THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608300807
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 87 lines
Dozens of hairstylists spent a recent day off washing, clipping and blow drying hundreds of heads of hair. At the end of their day's work, they had raised more than $5,000 to help fight HIV and AIDS.
Eight hair salons staged the first AIDSCare Cut-a-Thon Aug. 18.
All of the proceeds went to AIDSCare, a program of the Eastern Virginia Medical School, established to help persons with AIDS and HIV meet the cost of treatment.
``It's been unbelievable,'' said AIDSCare development and marketing coordinator Ginny Sealey, before the event began. ``We had no idea we'd have this kind of response. We have about 40 stylists participating. We're looking at about 500 haircuts; maybe more.''
Sealey, who organized the cut-a-thon, explained that about a dozen extra stylists from other salons would be working in the eight salons that were participating, because they wanted to help out. Some salons filled their appointment books early, but continued to take appointments after the scheduled 5 p.m. closing time.
The basic attraction was a $12 shampoo, haircut, and blow dry. But some salons offered other services, such as therapeutic massages, to enhance their sales.
The inspiration for the event came from Sealey's own hairdresser, David John Moscone.
``He sold his business, David John Hair Designs, and retired because of his HIV infection,'' she explained. ``The beauty industry has seen a lot of the effects of the AIDS epidemic in its ranks.''
Moscone came out of retirement to take part in the cut-a-thon, as a volunteer at Steps Ahead Hair Design Studio on 19th Street, said Sealey.
Four salons in Norfolk, three in Virginia Beach and one in Chesapeake participated in the event.
Aveda was a co-sponsor, donating enough of its hair and skin products to fill eight large gift baskets. One was raffled off at each salon.
``We are busy,'' said Bonnie Fedoriw, owner of Steps Ahead, about an hour into the event. ``We're having fun. It's a great cause. We've done cut-a-thons before. It's a great thing to do for any cause.''
Fedoriw's salon was booked up about a week before, she said. Five stylists were participating. Students from a couple of area cosmetology schools were assisting with shampoos, and Ellington's Restaurant donated food.
Dr. Bonnie Dattel, medical director of the Tidewater Regional AIDS Center at EVMS, had come to Steps Ahead with her daughter, Hannah Murphy, 7. Both got a haircut. ``I think it's great,'' said Dattel. ``Many of the women we care for don't have adequate resources. It really emphasizes that the community is supportive of families with HIV. It's turning out to be a very popular event and we're very grateful.''
At Das Salon in Norfolk, so many stylists showed up that the extra hair dryers blew a fuse. Undeterred, they and their customers used the remaining live electrical outlets and continued to work.
``There are a lot of friends close to the owners who have AIDS,'' said Julie Smith, Das Salon's coordinator. ``I think it's great we can do something for them. It's kind of an emotional day, because we realized what we were doing this for.''
Celia Denton, of Norfolk, works at EVMS, where she had seen a flier advertising the event. She and her boyfriend came in for haircuts.
``I think it's wonderful,'' Denton said. ``I come here to Das Salon regularly. They're always doing something like this.''
By Sunday night, after the last haircut was finished and the proceeds counted, Sealey reported the event had raised more than $5,000. MEMO: For information, or to make a donation, call the AIDSCare Info
Line at 382-8250. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
April Holland, an owner of Das Salon in Ghent, cuts Keith Rettig's
hair.
Photo
THEY HELPED
AIDSCare Cut-a-thon salons:
NORFOLK
Das Salon
Rodney's Hair Designs
Studio 21 Hair & Nail Salon
The Pampered Corner Hair Salon
CHESAPEAKE
Changes-Hair Styling
VIRGINIA BEACH
Hair Cut 100
Josef's Hair Salon
Steps Ahead Hair Design Studio by CNB